Songspiel by Dysart

Puzzle explanation

Misprints in down clues are shown in the table below. They, and the correct versions, alternately spelt out the theme: the song, “The Times They Are A-Changin’ ” by Bob Dylan. Four “time” words were entered as anagrams: 41 season 7 avenir 24 porridge 33 period. Thirteen other answers had all Ts replaced by another letter, forming new words, mostly determined by crossing words. Replacements in 1 across, 1 and 3 down led to the emergence of BOB DYLAN (“nominally” in the preamble hinted at a name). Modified answers were Across: 1 tot 17 mutes 19 mast 29 stirk 37 teeny; Down: 1 trimmers 3 tenser 5 testee 11 très 15 tottering 36 stead 37 want 39 got. Of the six specific groups mentioned in the song, five of them are represented in the grid: writers (pens), critics (snipers), senators (anziani), mothers (mas), fathers (pas). The missing group, congressmen, was to be written beneath the grid.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Correct/Misprint Answer Explanation
Across
1   TOT STOT – S
6   ANZIANI (D)ANZI(g) + AN + I
12   RIPENED (E after PEN) in (RI + D)
13   AWNIER Homophone ((h)ornier)
14   ONASSIS Hidden
16   MIASMS (AS + I’M) * + M’ + S(upper)
17   MUTES MATES, U for A
19   MAST MASTER – ER(e)
20   LEGLESS LESS about (EG + (suicida)L)
21   EMBRUED (BRUTE – T) in MED *
23   Q-SHIP Q + ’S + HIP
26   SUSPENSER SPENSER about US
29   STIRK STIR(e) + (truc)K
31   RANDIER D in RANI + ER
34   MODIOLI MO + DIOL + I(nspect)
35   OSSI (IS + SO) <
37   TEENY Two definitions
38   EPPING EBBING, B to P twice
40   GAG-REIN GEARING *
41   SEASON S + (r)EASON
42   FIRE-BAR (E + BAR) after FIR (board)
43   DEVELOP (POD about LEVE(l)) <
44   ODD O(fficer) + DD
Down
1 smoo(T)ing/smooching TRIMMERS T’ + R + IMMERS(e)
2 grapes/grap(H)s OIDIA OI(l) + AID <
3 L(E)ss/Lass TENSER NET < + SER(mon)
4 Game/(T)ame YNAMBUS MANY < + BUS
5 s(I)tting/setting TESTEE TES + TEE
7 Time/(M)ime AVENIR VEN(t) in AIR
8 (E)at/fat INSULSE I + UNLESS *
9 vex/(S)ex AIL (r)AIL
10 unbea(T)able/unbearable NEMESIS N + (PREMISES – PR) *
11 Very/(H)ery TRÈS (ST about ER) <
15 re(E)l/real TOTTERING (OTTER – R) in TRING
18 nosh/nos(Y) SEHRI HE’S < + RI(g)
22 le(A)ding/lending B-SIDE BIDE about S
24 jail/(R)ail PORRIDGE RIDGE under POR(t)
25 lif(E)/lift AMOEBAE A + ABE < in MOE
27 pee/pe(A) URINOSE (Bl)U(e’s) + IN in ROSE
28 (C)over/Rover SNIPERS SNI(p) + PER + S
30 Sun/(H)un EL PASO ELO about PAS
32 d(A)me/dome AVERIL AVER + IL
33 Term/Ter(N) PERIOD D after (PER + IO)
36 (G)ive/Live STEAD SD about TEA
37 Lack/L(I)ck WANT W + AN(on) + T(equila)
39 see(N)/seed GOT GO + T’
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