Warning! by Ozzie

Puzzle explanation

Some clues had one or two occurrences of a gap replacing a single letter, and their answers were initially entered with one or two gaps, correspondingly, to produce the initial grid shown here (with bars for information). The restored letters spelt out the warning MIND THE GAP, which then filled the gaps in the grid, placing THE GAP between CARRIAGE and PLATFORM. The addition of symmetrical bars led to two barred-off cells, which were then cleared to form new gaps.

It was necessary for the inserted bars to enclose cells 6 and 42 completely, to create the two “singularities” referred to in the preamble (otherwise the result was a normally-barred grid with some non-words). The specification of personal and place names did not include words that are ordinary entries in Chambers, such as ACRE, THEREMIN and ANT. The personal names were ARI (established as a name by being clued as such for 9dn), SITA (in the “Some First Names” appendix in Chambers 2008 and earlier) and LAING (found under “Laingian” in Chambers). The place names were IROISE (clued as such for 39ac) and ADRIA (found under “Adrian” in “Some First Names”). Both place names are in the Times Atlas of the World.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Modified word Answer Explanation
Across
1   ACRE ARE around C(hancel)
7   STALEST (LAST SET) *
14 river(M)an THEREAFTER THE + RAFTER around E
15   RES RES(t)
16   ERYTHRITOL THIRTY * in LORE <
17   SERA SERAI − I(mran)
18   RIN ERIN − E
19   KEEP ((D)E(r) + P(rozess)) after (K + E); ref. protagonists known as K in both works
20   SIRCAR SIR + CAREER − E’ER
23   RIA RI + A
25   GERBE LINGER BEHIND − LIN − HIND
27 Miss(I)on EMBAY EMBASSY − SS
28   EAR (h)EAR(ing)
29   SPLAT 2 meanings
30   FORMANT FOR MAN + T’
32   TYPE O (ar)TY PEO(ple)
34   REND R (ref. 38dn) + END
37   STATING STATIN + G
39   IROISE I + ROSE around I
40   IRANIANS I RAN + I RAN − R + S
41   REEST RE + EST
42   LEAR EARL with last letter moved forward
43   GO 3 meanings
Down
2   CHERIMOYERS CHER + I + (MORE + S(ex)Y) *
3   RESORBS RES + ORBS
4   ERE ’ERE; ref. 5dn
5   HERE ADHERE − AD
6 i(N)set TYR (Divini)TY R(esearcher)
7 With(D)raw, kin(D)led START TRATS <
8 Livings(T)on, con(T)rolling THRIFT TIFT around HR
9 wit(H)in ARI A1 around R
10   LAIN LA(t)IN
11   EFT LEFT − L
12   TELEBANKING (BANI + LEK) * in (TEN + G)
13   PROPERTIES PROP + (TRIES + E(asily)) *
14   TRISECTRIX RESTRICT * + IX
17   SCAPE S + CAPE
19   KEY 3 meanings
21 cat(E)ring ALOOS AS around LOO
22 qua(G)gas RASSES R(adon) + ASSES
24 car(A)pace AORTAL ((f)LAT ROA(d)) <
25 car(P)entered GROIN G + IRON *
26   REALGAR LARGE * + A + R
31   MANIA (A + IN A + M) <
33   AT IT A + TIT
35   NOR NOR + N = NORN; 2 meanings
36   DIE DIE(t)
38   ARS (p)R(ima)R(y inst)R(uction); ref. the three R’s
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