Here and There by Hedge-sparrow

Puzzle explanation

Half of the clue answers have one letter omitted on entry in the grid, with the letter being inserted into one of the remaining answers to make its grid entry. Extra/omitted letters in Down clues yield the phrase “all entries are real terms”, indicating that all amendments produce real words or names. The clue at 28ac defines two possible answers, MANIA (mental disorder) and MARIA (Hebrew woman), from which the I must be omitted so that the omitted letters match the inserted letters. Cross-checking the letters used for entry amendments with the letter mixture “rings NICE doctors for a pill” yields N as the extra letter, so the correct entry is MANA rather than MARA.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra/omitted letter Answer Explanation
Across
1   COMPOSED COED around MOPS *
8   REND BRENDA − B − A
11   LOVER REVOL(t) <
12   ORCAS ACROSS * − S(ea)
14   LEGO LEG + O
15   DRAGONS DRAGS around (O + ’N’)
16   MORS (Swaffha)M OR S(andringham)
17   SEA LANES ALAN in SEES
18   ELAPSE E + LAPS + (manufactur)E
19   SENDS (MENDS − M) after S
21   ART (dep)ART(ment)
22   INFAME IN + FAME
25   CY PRES C + YPRES
27   PIT 3 meanings
28   MANIA/MARIA [no wordplay]
31   MEGA GAME *
32   OVERTURE OVERT + UPRISING − PRISING + ER <
33   ANTI T(ree) in ANI
34   OROLOGIST HOROLOGIST − (watc)H
36   PIED PIEDMONT − (M + O’ + NT)
37   LUNGE N in LUGE
38   INTRO INTROIT − IT
39   DIVI DIVI(divi)
40   DELATION D + ELATION
Down
1 M(A)c COMMÈRE CORE around MME
2 L-earner OVERPLAY OVER + PAY around L
3 L-awful PROSPERO (REP’S + O + PRO) *
4 d-E-ad COLDEST (D + EST) after COL
5 mo-N-th ORAL MAYORAL − MAY
6 (T)error EALE E + ALE
7 hea(R)d ODSO OD + S(herlock) + (M)O(riarty)
8 ru(I)n RHONA R + H(airdo) + ON + A
9 spin(E)s TERNES homophone of TURNS
10 (S)age DISCS DIS + (CERES − ERE)
13 m-A-ps CAPOS CAP + OS
20 i(R)on ELATION E + LAT + ION
22 rod-E SATIN SAT + IN
23 t-R-ap SLIME PIT LIME in (S + PIT)
24 gam(E) MAGNET GAM < + NET
26 past(A) PAVLOVA PA + V(ea)L + OVA
27 L-arne PORTA A after PORT
28 (T)old MOOL MO + O + L
29 not-E AGUE TEAGUE − TE
30 f-R-ont OUSE (s)OUSE
32 cha(M)p COD C + DO <
35 bu-S-t FOLD (penci)L in (D + OF) <
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