Squaring the Circle by Centigram

Puzzle explanation

The quotation and author, in two concentric squares of cells, each starting at word 1, were “At the round earth’s imagined corners blow your trumpets”; John Donne. This should have led solvers to take the four corner letters in the grid to rearrange as the theme word “lurs” which are trumpets. Jumbled entries: 2 ritual 3 tirrit 5 neuron 7 threat 9 colour 16 theism 19 humeri 20 stumps 21 visier 24 jaguar 25 heroin 27 record 29 gamine 30 accede 31 jockos 34 sander 38 wobbly 40 boners 44 geyser.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation
Clues
1 CAPOTE CAP + OTE (abbreviation)
2 RITUAL RIT (abbreviation) + (us)UAL(ly)
3 TIRRIT RIT < + RIT; reference The Merry Wives of Windsor
4 SHELTA THE LAS(t) *
5 NEURON N + EURO + N
6 LEERIE L + EERIE
7 THREAT T + EARTH *
8 PLIERS L in PIERS
9 COLOUR CO + LOUR
10 TITTUP TIT + PUT <
11 ERRAND ER + RAND
12 DRUIDS SURD < about ID
13 MEEMIE ME + ME < + IE
14 CARPET CAR PET; “car” used adjectivally to modify “pet”
15 ASSURE ASS + URE
16 THEISM H(ope) in TIMES * & lit
17 STUPID TUPI in SD
18 DEARTH D + EARTH
19 HUMERI HUM + IRE <
20 STUMPS STU(d) + MPS & lit
21 VISIER VISI(t) + ER
22 AMATED A + MATED
23 PASCAL PAL about (A + S/C)
24 JAGUAR JAR about (A + GU)
25 HEROIN HE + IRON *
26 ONCOST CO in ONST
27 RECORD COR in RED
28 RECOUP RE + COUP
29 GAMINE GAM + INE(s); Spanish form of Agnes (Chambers)
30 ACCEDE (E + DECCA) <
31 JOCKOS JOCKS about O
32 JOSHUA JOSH + AU <
33 PANTRY ANT in PRY
34 SANDER Two definitions
35 DECODE COD in DEE
36 FREMME RENNE after F
37 GANESH GASH about ((ma)N + E(elephant))
38 WOBBLY (BABY OWL – A) *
39 U-BENDS (BEN + D) in US
40 BONERS B + ONERS
41 FLEECE FLEE + CE
42 DONNOT DON + NO + T
43 RWANDA AND WAR *
44 GEYSER (RE + SY + EG) <
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