Playtime by Samuel

Puzzle explanation

Extra letters in clues gave “enter title’s first letter in slots in the top row; from top, obeying gravity, move wheels half a turn”. Accordingly, the letter P was to be placed in the two empty slots in the top row. From the top down, moving all 16 wheels in the grid by half a turn allowed the two Ps to drop from the top row to the bottom, displaying the phrase “(the) penny drops”, which describes the movement of each of the two letters, as well as what solvers may experience at the puzzle’s denouement. In addition, “eureka” and “I’ve got it” are revealed, together with Archimedes. The title might be parsed as p (penny) + lay (drop) + time (moment).

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra letters Answer Explanation
Across
4 Black(EN) BIAS B + IA + S
10 Pic(T E)yes IMAGE I + MAGE
12 Repo(RT) OONT Hidden
13 un(IT) NUCLEON CLONE UN *
14 ru(LE) RUBIA RU + BIAS (4ac) – S (7)
15 Sharp(S F)ace ACUTE (A + UTE) about C
16 (IR)king RANI R + AN + I
17 (ST)out DEMISE DEVISE, M for V
18 cast(LE) SHEATHE SHED – D + THE after A; see put up in The Chambers Dictionary
21 no(T T)in TENOR NO in TER
23 plumb(ER) TRUE T + homophone (ROO = kangaroo)
24 (IN)edible AKEE (b)AKE(s) + E(dible)
27 muscle(S, L)awful ABAFT AB + FAT *
30 sp(OT)lit EGOISTS (GO IT about S) in ES
32 (SI)new RILLES RIN – N + LL + E(ndles)S
34 re(NT) ERRANT (R + ANT) after RE <
36 (HE)art CURTAIL (CUI(f) + L) about ART *
37 (TO) ANION ON after ANI
38 (PR)ess HATE HASTE (Shakespearean) – S (ess)
39 End(OW)ing TYRANNY (legac)Y in TRANNY
Down
1 re(F R)ides DINERS (RE + IDES + N – E) *
2 bro(OM) JACONET JACOB – B(bedbug) + O’ + NET
3 (TO) AGLAIA (GALA + (m)AI(d)) *; the removal of the extra letters provides the change: grace to Grace
4 (PO)sting BEECH CH under BEE
5 Ti(BE)tan AIN’T (TITAN – (Everes)T) *
6 Test(Y I)re STREET (TEST + RE) *
7 Ma(N G)oes MOUSMEE (MA + OES + MUTE) * – A – T(ardy)
8 (GR)oom DOBBIN NIBBED <, O(om) for E
9 (AV)ian’s STAYER AYE in STR
11 (IT)ching VOUCHEE (COUCHEE – C(hing)) after V. Ch’ing (a Chinese dynasty) is a proper name; it is in NODE, which also gives ching as the noise made by a cash register
19 The(Y M)ute TUTENAG T’ + UTE + (Lydo)N + A(rcane) + G(oth)
20 Lay(OV)er EAGERLY LAYER * about GE
22 Cr(EW) VARECH (CR + HAVE) *
25 (HE)ard KORDA KO + ARD *
26 (El)y ASTONY ASTON + Y
28 rule(S H)alt ALERT (R + ALT + E) *
29 A(AL)ly FLYTE FLY + T(wic)E
31 Sa(FA)ri SASIN (SARI, R to S(talk)) + N
33 tin(T U)SA SNIT SN + IT
35 wa(RN) RANA Hidden, reversed
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