Double Shuffling and Dealing by Auctor

Puzzle explanation

Letters not indicated by wordplay spelt out “I have deceived you both; I have directed you to (wrong places)”, said by HOST (of the GARTER Inn) in The Merry Wives of Windsor (Act III, scene 1). Consequently half of the thematic clues have their definitions in the wrong clue (global) and half at the wrong place in their own clue (local). The other quotation, “WHOM THE GODS LOVE (dies young)”, is from Dis Exapaton (Double Deceiver) by Menander (see The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations); the playwright’s name was to be highlighted in the grid.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Letter, definition Answer Explanation
Across
1 I SPEWING S + PEW + N + G
7 H SHERRY Two definitions (SERRY)
12 A, local CARLYLEAN CLEARLY * + N
13 V BATAVIA BAT + AIA
14 E, 11dn EDICTS [moles] C in DIT + (hi)S
15 D, local DROME R + O(ut) + ME
16 E VERDICT DICT. after (V + R(esearch)
20 C CHIRM R in HIM
21 E, local NEEM TREE (ENTER + ME) *
23 I, 14ac TALPIDAE [Concealed] (ALP + DAE) after T
24 V EVITA (AT + IE) <; reference Eva Perón
29 E, 27dn OBOVATE [Copied] O + B + O’ + VAT
31 D DACHA A + CH. + A
32 Y, local COYOTE CO(n) + TO < + E
33 O, 29ac RONEOED [This’ll make gasbag gape] RED about ONE
34 U JUNKERDOM J + K(araoke) in MODERN *
35 B BREEDS Two definitions (REEDS)
36 O UNGODLY UN + G’DAY, A replaced by L
Down
1 T, local SUBDUCTS SUB + SCUD <
2 H PEARL HARBOUR PEARL + ARBOUR
3 I ESTORIL EST [is] + OR + L(imoges)
4 H WHAMS W + AS about M
5 A NAIF FIN < [French]
6 V, local GRAVE GR + AE
7 E, local SLEEVEEN EVEN after (ELSE <) with top removed
8 D HYDROMEL HYL(e) about ROME
9 I ELIDE DELE *
10 R, local RÉCIT EC(h) + IT
11 E, 22dn RATCHET-WHEEL [Fiats] RATCH + ’T + W + HEEL
17 C, 26dn EMICATED [cause] EMI [record company] + ATE + D
18 T INDITERS (INSIDE + (tormento)R) *
19 E TEA CADDY (C + A + D after D) in TAY
22 D, 33ac RIPCORD [cog] RIP + C + OR
25 Y BOYNE Two definitions (BONE); reference Battle of the Boyne
26 O, 17dn EVOKE [sparkled] EV + K + (wrot)E
27 U, 23ac PERDU [Pear-shaped?] PEAR-SHAPED – (A + SHAPE)
28 T, local TAE-BO® EA < + BO
30 O NOON (Sauvig)NON
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