Aft by Nutmeg

Puzzle explanation

The letters in clashes produced definitions of “pip” (seed, star, spleen, bleep, blackball) to represent The Five Orange Pips from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Coloured items from other titles in the collection were Copper Beeches, Red-headed League, Blue Carbuncle and Speckled Band. Philip at 12ac was entered as The Man with the Twisted Lip. The puzzle’s title refers to “the game’s afoot”, a favourite Holmesian remark.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation
Across
1 HOB HOB(os)
4 WAGENBOOM (WAGE + BOOM) around N
11 OPAL (LAP + O) <
12 PHILIP (I + LP) < around HIP
13 LIND 2 meanings; ref. Jenny Lind
15 BEECHES ECHE in BES(t)
16 ASTRAL L after ASTRA(y)
18 EIGHT homophone of AIT/EYOT
19 OSSI (g)OSSI(p)
21 OVERWEEN O + (WE NEVER) *
23 ENVY ENVOY − O
24 SNED SEND with the central letters reversed
26 LEAGUE (AU around G) in LEE
28 CLAN ((pe)NAL C(olony)) <
29 NGANA (NAG in AN) <
30 BLEEDERS DE in REBELS *
33 OTOLITH (TOOL HIT) *
34 DEUS D + SUE <
35 ICE MEN CEMEN(t) after I
36 FARO F(e)AR + O
37 CARBUNCLE CARB + UNCLEAR − (A + R)
38 BLACKEN (LACKEY − Y) in B(righto)N
Down
2 OPINIONED PINION in OED
3 BAND AN in BED − (nurs)E
5 ARBITRAL BRA < + TRIAL with I moved up
6 GREY OWL YE < in GROWL
7 ÉPÉE PE < + (n)E(v)E(r)
8 BIHARI BI + HARIM − M
9 OPERON ER after OP + ON
10 MISLAY M(arket) + ISLAY
14 SEETHED SEED around THE
20 STANCHEL (HAS CELT) * around N
22 SPLENETIC (RESTING PLACE) * − RAG *
23 EGGED EG + GED
24 SEPTIC SCEPTIC − C
25 EXETER E + REX < around ET
28 CROMB R in COMB
31 FINN (bee)F IN N(utritious)
32 TEA BALL A in BALLET *
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