Admission by Kea

Puzzle explanation

Misprinted and altered answers are shown in the table below. Gobind and Abir are in the first-names section of The Chambers Dictionary (2008). The quotation is “… I can’t tell a lie. I did cut it with my [hatchet]”, attributed to George Washington in the story about felling his father’s cherry tree. The misprinted cells form a rough tree shape in which may be traced ground cherry, bird cherry, wild cherry, winter cherry and hagberry. The top part falls to the left, being chopped through the trunk by the hatchet.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Quote Letter
= Correct
+ Wrong
+ Misprint		 Answer Explanation
Across
1   SPYPLANE PLAYPEN’S *
6   CUTIS CUIS(h) about T(he)
12 I = L + P + G ELM Alternate letters of MAPLE, reversed
14 C = S + M + W SAPORS RM (Marines = Jollies) after (SAP + O)
15 A = D + E + R REUSED (EE + SUER) <
16 N = H + D + B ASH One typewriter row starts ASD; ref winged fruit of ash or maple
17 T = E + R + W LEO I LATROCINIUM – (MAN I CUT) *; see latrocinium
18 T = R + S + I SOONER SO + ONES
19 E = E + L + N EINE ’N’ in LIE <; two rhyming slangs
20   LURED LURE + ’D
21 L = C + Q + R UNCLE QL in UNE
22   LETS Two definitions (LET’S)
24 L = U + L + E SAND-DUNE LAND’S END *
25   IDES ID ES(t)
26 A = E + S + C TUTEE T in TUES.
27 L = E + O + R ESTH ST in HO <; the band Crowded House has contained various members of the Finn family, originally, like Kea, from NZ
29   TITHE Composite anagram of TENTH PAID, using (AND + P) & lit
30 I = O + L + H BEGO Hidden reversed
34   ACTS CT in AS
37 E = R + H + E SORBATE ETHOS < about BA
38   OLEO Hidden
39   LOX L + OX; an ox lows
40 I = P + A + R PER AN AN about ERA
41 D = J + B + R HIJACKS HI + BACKS
43   GENTS First letters & lit
44 I = G + C + Y LONGS LANCS, A replaced by O; reference trousers
45   ASSESSED ASSES + SED; plural of AS + Latin word for but
46   AEDES (SEE + A) < about D; ref mosquito, a carrier of disease or infection
Down
1   SCROLL SC + ROLL & lit
2   PREVUED DUPE * about REV (rev = gun, for engine); US spelling of preview = trailer (verb)
3   POSSESS S after POSSES
4 D = E + J + O AGREE JÄGER *; see square
5 C = C + L + N ESSENCE Hidden reversed
6 U = I + H + D CABIRIC CAB + I(sland) + R(efuge) + H(onouring) + C(ouple)
7 T = A + G + L UPLEAD GULPED *
8 I = H + R + I TOWHEES TOW + REES
9 T = Y + A + T IRONY IRA about ON; meaning of first name
10 W = A + M + I SWANEE WM in SNEE
11   QUARTETTES QU + (SET + TETRA(d)) <; ref rock group Queen
13 I = D + J + U MANDATE M + ANTE about JA (yes)
23   STEMLESS (SS + HELMETS – H) <
24   SUBGOALS BUGS ALSO *
27 T = L + F + B RELEASE REF + EASE
28 H = F + T + H FLENSES L in TENSES; tense of verb
29   TAONGA TONGA about A
31   GOBIND GO BLIND – L; meaning of name
32 M = F + Z + G FARCED ARC in ZED
33 Y = S + E + A STAKE (r)ETAKE
35   CLUES Two definitions; cop = conical ball of thread
36   SOOTE SOOTHE – H
42   RYA RYA(n); ref film Saving Private Ryan
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