Elementary by Wan

Puzzle explanation

Rows 2 and 11 of the grid consist of a jumble of DMITRI IVANOVICH MENDELEEV, who developed the periodic table of chemical elements.

18ac and 28ac should have been indicated as two-word answers.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Misprint Answer Explanation
Across
1 pen(Ce) TABLESPOON TABLE + SOON around P
11 (Cl)ear VOID V(aseline) + O + ID
12 (Ra)ts VARMINT RAV < + MINT
13 (Ga)ins RITZIER RITZ + (t)IER(s)
14 a(Nd) PANDA P + AND + A
16 (Mo)st BHUTAN BAN around HUT(u)
18 (Sn)are SPEED TRAP SPEED + TRAP
19 (Po)et HORACE (ACHE OR) *
22 t(Al)k TA-TA TA(rt) twice
23 (Co)il CURL L after CUR
25 (Ni)ck COOLER 2 meanings
28 (Ac)t TOUCH WOOD TOUCHWOOD
29 (Pu)t FLAYED LAY in FED
32 (Ba)cking FIXER (REF around XI) <
33 (Sm)others NUCLEUS NUS around (CLEM − M + U)
34 (Ir)on EVINCED (FENCE − FE + D) after EVI(l)
35 (Sc)an HELM SCHELM − SC(an)
36 pl(At)e STEREOTYPE STEE(l) arount POETRY *
Down
2 th(Re)e AVID AID around V
3 pa(In) BOTHER BOTH + RE <
4 (Br)ed EDIT (AIN’T BRED) * − BRAN *
5 (Li)the SVELTER (POST REVEALS) * − SOAP *
6 (La)cks ORPHAN PRO < + H(is) A(unt) + N(an)
7 (Th)atches NINTH (passio)N IN TH(atches)
8 s(Ta)ke ANDANTE A + N + D + ANTE
9 (Si)ze STANDARDISE STARE around (AND then DIS)
10 (Be)verage IRISH COFFEE (OFFICER + E(xceeds) + HIS) *
15 tre(Es) REALTY (LATELY with R for L) *
17 (As)tray UPTOWN UP + WON’T *
20 li(Fe) OUTLIVE VILE * after OUT
21 (Cu)e OCCLUDE (COLD + CUE) *
24 m(Ar)k COERCE COMMERCE − (M + M)
26 bo(Ne) LONELY (b)ONE in (SALLY − SA)
27 (Ca)bs TAXIS T + AXIS
30 (Te)n ECHO (ONCE THE) * = (TEN + ECHO) *
31 p(Ag)e JUMP JUMBO with P for BO
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