Workplace by Mr E

Puzzle explanation

The letters omitted from half the clues — see below — spelt “therblig and Erewhon”, derived by reversing “Gilbreth” and “nowhere” with a pair of adjacent letters switched. The former is a unit of work derived from the name of its inventor, an engineer. The latter is an imaginary place featuring in Butler’s Utopian satires. These references explain the title. The remaining 18 normally-clued answers were to be entered analogously.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Letter Answer Explanation
ACROSS
1 T HELL-BENT HEN about (’LL BE)
7 H HORSE ’S in ORE
11   PTEROPOD OOZE (PROTOZOON DEEP – N)*; “nameless” indicates removal of N
12   POLAR Homophone (POLLER)
14 E REPEL REPL(y)
15   TAIL ENDS TENDS about AIL
16   SHABBY SH + BABY*
18 R BEEPER ÉPÉE < after B
19   CORDIAL (’D + I) in CORAL
23   DAWN-MAN DAWN + MA + ’N’; reference Piltdown hoax
24   TOTEM TO + T(h)E + M
25   TRAPAN Hidden reversed
27 B ELBOW-ROOM (MOOR + W + O + L + E) <
29 L RELIC REALISTIC – A LIST
30   STAID Homophone (STADE)
31   L'ÉTAT C’EST MOI TIME TO CASTLE*; see the “foreign languages” Appendix in Chambers Dictionary
32 I GRAIN Two definitions
33 G SAGINATE IS A NEAT* & lit
DOWN
1 A HEARTY Hidden
2   GOAL GO + AL(l); reference “I could go a …” for “eat”
3 N LOONY BIN (BOY + LION)* & lit
4   SNORE S, N OR E; choice of three directions
5   CALDRON Composite anagram; (CLAD + IRON) → CALDRON + I
6 D SPEED BUMP (B after PEE) in SUMP
8 E RELIEVE VEILER <; ? since agent noun is not in Chambers, although it is in Collins
9   SPARE PARTS PAR twice in SETS
10 R REPETEND PET in (E + END)
13   ROLLERBALL ROLLER + BALL
17 E HERBORISE BORIS in HRE (Holy Roman Empire)
19 W LIME-TWIG TIG (game with “it” involved) after LIME
20   SECONDO Removing “SECOND O” from ROOT gets ROT
21 H HAWAIIAN A WAIN about (I + A)
22   TAROTS (A + R) in TOTS’
25   CAPON CAP ON; not approved wear in church
26 O TOOTLE TO LET*; “Buggy” is anagram indicator
28 N MANTA MAT + A
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