Wot, No Lines? by Charybdis

Puzzle explanation

The theme of “Writing on the Wall” (17dn), or “Graffiti” (22ac), linked with four of the other five unclued entries: Mene (Mene) (40ac), Tekel Upharsin (1ac; see Daniel v, 25, referred to as 20 5 25 in the preamble), Kilroy Was Here (48ac) and Chad (24ac; qv, hence the puzzle’s title). The extra letters clued with answers spelt “Highlight fifteen down and six letters on a major diagonal”, leading to Charybdis’s own crosswording contribution to the genre: “Anagrams (15dn) Lure OK?”, an appropriate play on a construction commonly used in graffiti (see “Rule OK” in Chambers Dictionary).

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra letter Answer Explanation
10-letter
36 H EGURGITATE I URGE TAG THE*; reference cat as “to vomit”
9-letter
3 I LUMBERMAN LUMBER + MAIN
8-letter
12 G HERNSHAW HER + (SHAW in NG)
13 H SHIELING (SHE about I) + (N in LIGH(t))
34 L THROSTLE (AUTHOR – AU)* + TELLS*
47 I PARALLEL (PAIR + LL + EL) about A & lit;
7-letter
2 G EKPWELE WEEK* about P + L + EG
6 H UPCLIMB (medi)C in (HUP + LIMB)
24 T CHALONE C + ETHANOL*
25 F IAMBIST (I AM) + B(ard) + FIST; Descartes said “ I think, therefore I AM”
32 I STEMBOK MOTORBIKES* – OR
33 F ANOTHER FATHER about NO
37 T GUMBOIL GUMBO + TIL
6-letter
4 E HARISH IRE < in HASH; reference puss as a word for a hare, used facetiously
5 E SINEWS SEI + NEWS
8 N TRIUNE (RUN about I) in TEN
9 D NEATEN NEAT + END
14 O LANCER LOANER about C
17 W WRITES (deserte)R in WWI + SET <
20 N DANIEL (D + A + L(aw)) about NINE; reference meaning of the name Daniel
23 A TITLED TIT + LEDA; apologies are offered for the false reference: it was Zeus who turned himself into a swan to seduce Leda
30 N BOUGIE BOUGH – H + IN + (lin)E
31 D BONBON BOND + BON(d)
32 S STROUD (DUSTS about OR) <
35 I RUSTLE RU (Rugby Union) + TILES*
38 X RENTER RENTE + (e)X(t)R(a) (odd letters of extra)
39 L TEAPOY (E(ls) + TO + PLAY)*
5-letter
4 E HATER Two definitions; heater = pistol
7 T CLEAN Hidden
10 T WEEDY Two definitions; tweedy describes dress favoured by some rural aristocracy
16 E CHAFF CHAFE + F(lywheel)
18 R TEAED TEAR + ED
27 S ISLED (m)ISS + LED
28 O MONTH MOON + T(elevision) H(arm)
31 N BANAT BANANA with T for A; reference Banana Split
42 A NARAS ANA about RAS
43 M WAIST IT SWAM*
44 A ILLER (ALL + E) in IR
45 J STEER JESTER*
46 O BOTTE NOT TO BE* – N
4-letter
11 R DYER Two definitions; dryer extracts moisture
12 D HERD HER + DD; reference Doctor of Divinity
22 I GRID INGRID (Bergman) – N
26 A BLUR AB + LUR(e); reference tar as sailor
28 G MALT LAM < + G + T
29 O SLUB Last letters of Goodies … blub
3-letter
19 N AHA Even letters of cAsH oN tAp
21 A NAE ANAE(mic)
41 L EAN Two definitions; lean as scrawny
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