Motley Collection by Merlin

Puzzle explanation

Missing letters in half the entries spelt “Pied Piper of Hamelin”. Accordingly, the remaining across entries have “rat” removed and the remaining down entries have a boy’s or girl’s name taken out; see Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Letter/
Name		 Answer Explanation
Across
1 P NIPPERTY-TIPPERTY NIPPER + TYPE about TIP + TRY *
10   MAJORAT MAJOR + AT
11   ERRATICAL ER + R + A(lfred) + TICAL
12 I ALIENIST (I + IS + (m)ENTAL) * & lit
13   NITRATE (I + TRAT) in NE
15 E ENKERNELLED (K + ER + NELL (Gwyn) + (lin)E) in END
16 D PAGODAS (A + GOD) in PAS
17   RAT-TAIL (A + TT) in RAIL; reference the grenadier fish
19 P PENCIL-CASES CLEANSE PICS *
21 I PICARDY THIRD PI + CARDY+ THIRD, “placed” = in first three; see third
23   CAPRATE CAP + RATE
24 P SERAPIS SERA PIS (French)
26 E MAN-SIZED MAN + SEIZED – E
29   PRO RATA R(ide) in PROA + TA
30   CASH RATIO A CHARIOT’S *
31   ABERRATES A + (Yogi) BERRA + SET <
32   RATTEEN ENTREAT *
33 R LABRADOR RETRIEVER VAL A BORDER TERRIER *
Down
1 O ONOMATOPOEIC O’ + (A MON) < + TOPIC about OE
2 TED EJECTED (d)EJECTED
3 F FRONT OFFICE TOFF in (FR + ON ICE)
4 TRIX TESTATRIX TEST + (m)ATRIX
5 H THICKHEAD HICK in (THE + AD)
6 HAL HALICORES CHOLERA IS *
7 MO EAMONN ON NAME * semi & lit; Irish form of Edmund
8 A TOTALITARIAN ARIAN after (TOT + ALIT)
9 DEL YODELED Y + ODE + LED
14 MO SANTA MARIA SANTA (Claus) + MARIA (seas on moon); reference Christopher Columbus
17 CHIC TETRASTICHIC ARCHITECT’S * about TI
18 IAN LYDIAN STONE TONY’S DENIAL *
20 E CRUZEIRO CRU + ZERO about I; reference “real” as currency
22 L ALL-FIRED ALL FIRED, ie, no workers left
25 DI DIE-CAST DIE + CAST
26 I IMPEL I’M PEL(e)
27 HANS SABAHANS SANS about AHAB <; reference Moby Dick
28 N SHEEN Two definitions (Martin Sheen)
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