If I’ve Told You Once … by Ploy

Puzzle explanation

The theme is “Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose, is a rose”, from Sacred Emily (appearing in the central column) by Gertrude Stein. The letter-pairs removed from clues were 6 (mu)so, 14 (mi)rage, 40 (no)mad, 41 (ta)king, 1 Da(ne), 33 (to)day. These could be rearranged to give “mutato nomine”, which means “the name being changed”. Accordingly, clashes in four names (Tamara, Dolina, Peter and Cherry) were resolved to change the names into other words. The other clashes were resolved “in the opposite way”, ie, they ensured the appearance of the four occurrences of the name Rose in the grid.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Pairs Answer Explanation
Across
1   PERTNESS PRESENT * + S [common to S(weet) and S(our)]
6 [mu]so SO-HO SO + WHO – W
11   ABOULIA ABOUT – T + AIL <
13   TAMARA Hidden
14 [mi]rage DOLINA (A LION + D) *
16   CAPERER CAPE [Cod] + RE + R
18   ANALOG A + (A LONG) *
21   EDGE (s)EDGE(s)
23   ROESTI ROE + (A)STI
24   GESTE Homophone (JEST)
26   DEXTRIN TINDER * about X [without]
29   ISOTONE IS + NOT ONE – N
30   GENTLE GENTILE – I
31   BISKS BRISK + S – R
32   MEUSE Two definitions; River Meuse
35   PETER ÉTÉ in PR
37   INCHPIN (IN CHIP PAN – PA) *
38   AURORAL LAURA * about OR
39   CHERRY HER in CRY
40 [no]mad SATRAPY ’S + A + PARTY *
41 [ta]king DREE R in DEE
Down
1 Da[ne] PADANG PANG(a) about DA
2   EBON Hidden
3   TUI Alternate letters
4   EIGG GIE < + G
5   STARR ST + ARR.
7   OMELET E in MOTEL *
8   HAROSET (S + E) in TORAH <
9   ORES S(hell) after ORE [over]
10   AIRLINE IRL in AÎNÉ
12   ACRED A + CR + E(njoy) + D(ealing)
15   LABROSE (SOLERA + B) *
17   PROSEUCHE OUR SPEECH *
19   LETT LETT(ered)
20   RESIDUA ’RE + AUDIS <
22   DROSERA SO < in DREAR *
25   UNWRAP (PRAWN + U(mami)) *
27   EGENCY AGENCY, E not A
28   ILLITE Hidden reversed
31   BIAS (S.A. [it] + IB.) <
32   MIL Every third letter
33 [to]day SHED ’S + HE + D
34   SNYE S(oo)N + YE
36   TOR (f)ORT *
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