Beat It! by Lavatch

Puzzle explanation

The puzzle celebrated the 50th anniversary of Günter Grass’s The Tin Drum (1959), and the tenth anniversary of his Nobel Prize (1999). Missing letters in clues spelt “Cat and Mouse” and “Dog Years”, the other two works in Grass’s Danzig Trilogy. Five words in the grid to be replaced by lines were bodhran, taborin, timpano, taiko and snare, all drums, as is the line drawing that replaced them. The letters G,R,A,S,S were to be blacked out in the shape of a T, cryptically indicating T in Drum. Five answers (43ac, 21, 28, 32, 37dn) were all to be extended to make longer entries by adding the letters of Oskar, the hero of The Tin Drum whose refusal to grow is reflected in the short answers. Partially erased entries are shown in the table below.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Definition / Letters Answer Explanation
Across
2   GATEPOST GATE + ’S in POT (marijuana)
11 (C)rush / – LITHOLAPAXIES HAIL AS EXPLOIT *
12   OVERGOT (G + O) in OVERT
14 (A)gain / – REPOT RE + TOP (excellent = wicked in current usage)
16 wri(T)er / RA RACINE Hidden
17 Be(A)sts / T COATIS (ASOCIAL – AL) *
18 – / N SENNA SEN + A; reference Ayrton Senna
20 – / A APIA A + PI
22 – / BN BORINGLY OY about GIRL *
25 – / I ERRING RN in ERG
26 – / A ACARUS A + CRUS
28 fu(N)gal / K CONKIEST (TONE IS) * after C(ouperin)
30 – / R RIME IE about M
31 Len(D)s / O LOANS PLANS – P
34 – / O DIODON DIDO + N
36 (M)ark / I MISAIM First letters
40   ELAND END about LA
41   AIGLETS (TAGS + IE + L(ace)) * & lit
42   TERGIVERSATES TIV about ERG + (AS TREES) *
43   ESTATED EST + A + TED
Down
1   CLOACAE CLOA(k) above (C + AE)
2 (O)pen / – GIVE VIG < + E
3 po(U)nd / B THROB THROW – W
4 – / D PLOD Two definitions (PLO)
5 cur(S)es / H OATHS Two definitions (sexual congress)
6 bar(E) / R SPARER S(onata) + PARE
7 – / S EXECS EC after EX
8 (D)well / – TIPI TIP + I
9   LÉON BLUM LEO + N + L in BUM
10   ASTELY AS + TE(l)LY (tube = TV)
13 – / OÂ GOIÂNIA GIN + I + A
15   CAIRN CAIN about R
19 lo(O)t / IN NICKING N + CK (Calvin Klein) + I + G
21   PROFILE PRO(p) + FILE
23 – / O ORS R(acetrack)S
24 (G)rate / – GRIDE G + RIDE
27   SENUSSI ISSUES < about N; plural used here, although same as singular
28 Bod(Y) / – COMET COME + T
29 Fir(E) / M ENMOVE ON EVE *
32 – / T TANG Two definitions (Ang)
33 – / P SPAES SEAS <
35 Pr(A)ise / É ÉCLAT CL(e)AT
37 b(R)eam / – SAR SA + R(oof)
38 – / A AIRT (TRIM – M) <
39 (S)pace / – STED STAYED – (A + Y)
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