Command Performance by Centigram

Puzzle explanation

Across answers are shown in the table below. The first letters of extra words in down clues gave: “Herod’s brother’s daughter / dance” leading to SALOME completing the isolated cell in the second row. “The seven veils” — the dance she performed for Herod — at 25ac was to be replaced by “(J)ohn the Baptist”. She had demanded his head as payment for the dance, that head being placed in the second isolated cell on a “charger”, as described in the play Salomé by Oscar Wilde. (The opera Salome by Richard Strauss was based on a translation of that play into German.) The altered down answers are also shown in the table below.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra word Answer Explanation
Across
1   TACTLESS T + ACT LESS
7   TRIPE Two definitions
11   SCRAPE SCAPE about R
12   MELONS MOONS with EL for O
13   POSITIVITY POSIT + IVY about IT
14   TENTACLE TENT + LACE *
17   ASIDE AS + IDE
19   HAÜYNE ANY HUE *
20   CATTALO Hidden reversed
22   CORNET COR + NET
23   REMOVER (REV + OMER) <
29   CELESTA CA about STEEL *
32   CERATE LACERATE – LA
33   SURREAL SURRE(y) + AL
35   RUNNER Two definitions
36   ROVER R + OVER
38   DELETORY (YR + O + TELED(u)) <
40   CONNIPTION I in (CON + NIP + TON)
42   ACINUS Homophone (SIN) in AUS (Australia)
43   SINNER ’S + INNER
44   MULCH MUL(e) + CH
45   STRANGER STRANGLER – L
Down
1 houri SPAE E after SPA
2 enter CANNACH CANNA + CH
3 religious LECTURES RULES, ETC *
4 outraged ACOLYTH A + COLY + T(h)E
5 Dominican ESSENE ESSENCE – C
6 someone SLY Every third letter
7 big POTATO POTTO about A
8 rifle IMPS MP in IS
9 on REVEL REEL about V(eils)
10 trafficking ENTICE NET * + ICE
15 half CENSER CENS + ER
16 enters TARN TAR + N
18 Romania DORSER Hidden
19 sex HOTTER OTT in HER
20 Danish AMEER A + MEER
21 all TEETER TEE-TE(e) (teetotaller) + R
24 ultimate VIRULENT (TURN + VEIL) *
26 Greek VASE ’S in VAE
27 Hot VENTOSE OVEN SET *
28 taunting LANDERS SLANDER, S to end
30 eventually CURTAL CUR + TAL(e)
31 royal LAVISH LAV + ISH
32 Dominican CRYING RY in CI (Channel Islands) + NG
34 appoints LOCUM OC in LUM
37 new EPIC E + PIC
39 Cretan ODIN I in (O + D + N)
41 especially OCA Hidden
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