Liberty Bell by Pieman

Puzzle explanation

Letters becoming checked by the initial removal of bars formed "I have a dream", referring to the Lincoln Memorial speech by Martin Luther King on August 28, 1963. Bars were then added and removed in anagrammed entries to complete a circular arrangement of LET FREEDOM, representing the recurring phrase "Let freedom ring" at the climax of the speech.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation
Across
4 TATE MUTATE − MU
8 MAY MARY − R
11 FAIR FAIRFAX − FAX
15 DIMETHYL DIME + THY + (renta)L
16 ANILINE AINE around NIL
17 ECARTE CARTE after E
18 OUDENARDE (AROUND NEED) * − N
19 MIG MIGHT − HT
20 TAO A in TO
21 BERG B + ERG
23 AGGER DAGGER − D
24 SAIN * SALADIN − LAD
25 CARLOT * CAR LOT
26 NEAFE NE + A + F + (recip)E
27 TANG TANGA − A
29 HIN HIN(t)
30 ISO IS + O
31 TOPIC TROPIC − R
32 EL GRECO OGLE < around REC
33 TAMIL M in TAIL
34 ANT I CAN’T − (I + C)
37 EGIS R + EGIS + TRY = REGISTRY
41 SCAPE S + CAPE
45 HAM HAMPER − PER
46 CHA MOCHA − MO
47 PINATUBO PIN + ABOUT *
49 HALIMOT LIMO in HAT
50 ABIR A + BIR(d)
51 ALGA * A + LG + A
52 HAEMATOMA HAE + MAT + O’ + M + A
54 NEK NEKTON − TON
55 NEAL NEPAL − P
58 SELF FLES(h) <
60 RELIANT ELIAN in RT
62 ELL W + ELL = WELL
63 BOSNIA * BOS + ’N’ + I + A
64 PLACE P(a)LACE
65 SALOME SOME around (A + L)
66 FULKE * FE around (h)ULK; ref. Sir Fulke Greville, Baron Brooke
67 TOES * TOTES − T
68 SNAKE-OIL SOIL around NAKE(d)
69 MOLASSE ASS in MOLE
Down
1 EDEMA ED + AME <
2 VICINAL I/C in VINAL
3 IMAGING I’M AGING
4 TERTS (inve)ST RET(urns) <
5 ATTACHE ATTACHE(d)
6 THEORIC THRIC(e) around E O
7 BLUE TIT BLUETT(e) around I
8 MADRAS MAD + RAS
9 ANE BANE − B; definition in next clue
10 YIN PAY IN − PA
11 FLAGEOLET (O’ + LET) after (FL + AGE)
12 AIRGAP A + PAGRI <
13 INDEFINABLE (’N’ BAILED + FINE) *
14 RE-ERECT RE + ELECT with R for L
21 BOON * BONBON − NB
22 GLOM 2 meanings
23 ANTI TANTI − T
27 TETCHINESS ANAESTHETICS * − As (all occurrences of A)
28 GREMIAL GR + EMAIL *
35 RACH * RAC(e) + H
36 VAL VAL(e)
38 GAME GAM + E
39 IDOMENEO ME in (IDO + NEO)
40 SETAL SEAL around ’T
41 SPAT SPAT(e)
42 CIBORIUM II (occurrences of I) around BOR in CUM
43 ANIME NIM in AE
44 PARALLEL PA + RALL + EL(d)
45 HUANACOS (HUANACOS + YET) * = AN EASY TOUCH
48 OAK TREE OVERTAKE * − V
53 RIATA (T’ + A) after RIA
56 ELAN ELAND − D
57 ALL CALL − C
58 SOME SO + ME
59 FALL 2 meanings
61 NESS N + E + S + S
63 KOB * KOB(o)
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