Doubtful Association by Hedge-sparrow

Puzzle explanation

Single letters removed from clues spelt out “Omnium-gatherum of collective nouns”. Jumbles removed from the other clues gave creatures for unclued entries: badger (cete), crow (murder), goldfinch (charm), lark (exaltation), owl (parliament), turtle (bale), raven (unkindness), snipe (wisp), whale (gam). The missing one was starling, for which Chambers marks the term “murmuration” as doubtful.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Removed letter(s) Answer Explanation
Across
9 b(O)y NEARER NEAR + ER
12 (M)other’s UNDO UN + D + O(ther)
13 daw(N) KALI LI(t) after KA
14 t(I)e ATELIER RA < around (TE + LIE)
15 E(U) IRENA IRAN * around E
16 (M)an STAR A in STR
18 (G)um LEHR L(eaves) + ER around H
19 ma(de grab); BADGER MASSA MA around ASS
21 (Worc)ester; CROW DORSET DO + ESTER * − E
22 (folding ch)air; GOLDFINCH AIR-CAR RCA in AIR
24 US(A) EREBUS BERE < + US
27 i(T) NUCLEI UNCLE * + I
29 c(H)ase SOLAR SO + L + AR
30 t(E)a TAEL TA + EL
31 stoke(R)s STUN S + TUN
32 da(rk al)e; LARK DACE DAE around C(upid)
34 a(U)ction GUN DECK G + UNDECK
35 sto(M)p OBOE (E + O’ + BO) <
36 (wol)f; OWL ALOO ALOOF − F
37 Edmund(O)’s STRAIN ST + RAIN
38 (F)east MANGOSTEEN E in NETS < after (MAN + GO)
Down
1 (C)rush TEA ROOM TEAR + OOM
2 (utterl)y; TURTLE ERINYS Y in ERIN’S
3 (a nerv)e; RAVEN XEMA X + E + (ite)M + A
4 her(O) LEATHERJACKET JACKET after (LEAT + HER)
5 B(L)acked TATAR (RAT + (r)AT) <
6 f(L)ight TULWAR (L + WAR) after T(rudea)U
7 s(E)a ODESSA DES(k) in (O + SA)
8 on(C)e NOR (R + ON(e)) <
10 Scot(s pine); SNIPE ROSET STORE *
11 t(he law); WHALE PERMIT T after PRIME *
17 pain(T) CRUEL CRU + EL
20 sol(I)d SCOLD C(arburettor) in SOLD
23 di(V)ed NEGROID (N + EG + D) around ROI
25 (E)bony ROTULA (POSTULATOR − POST) *
26 bar(N) BANDOG BAN + DOG
27 (O)pinion NEEPS (EE + P(inion)) in NS
28 (U)nit’s COHORN (b)O(a)R(d) in (CO + H + N(it))
30 ge(N)ts TACKS TAKS around C
33 a(S) ABAC A in ABC
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