Variation on a Theme by Nibor

Puzzle explanation

The verse was “Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!” (a parody of “Twinkle, twinkle, little star”) from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland; this puzzle marked the 146th anniversary of its publication. The first two words are read across the grid, arranged in rows to correspond with the notes of the original tune. The central square shows a “little (cricket) bat”; representations of other sporting bats, such as those for baseball or table tennis, were accepted. Extra words in clues gave “How I wonder what you’re at! Up above the world you fly,” followed by “C. Dodgson” (Lewis Carroll’s real name). Replacing the two Ts in “Ratty” at 47 across with the clashing down letters makes the bottom row a representation of the fourth line, “Like (a) tea-tray in (the) sky.”

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra word Answer Explanation
Across
1 hopes BREAK B + REAK
5 over LYM LYM in FO = FLYMO
8 women’s STUNS’L STUNS + L
13 inconveniencing REINDEERS (RIDER SEEN) *
14 Writer OMAHA ((Abr)AHAM O(nly)) <
15 obviously URNAL URINAL − I
16 naughtily ATWEEN A + TWEEN(y)
17 disaster GROG GR + GO <
18 enterprise OKINAWA (w)OK IN A WA(rehouse)
20 reject ENTRY EN (half of an EM) + TRY
23 Welsh PARDONABLE (PANEL BOARD) *
24 hooked TAIMEN TAI + MEN
25 attract NISSES KISSES with K advanced 3 places in the alphabet
28 tenor ERNANI IRE < around NAN
30 you SMEUSE (USES ME) *
32 over EIGHTEENTH (TEETHING HE) *
37 understood HI-TEC TE in HIC
39 Rubbra RAWBONE (WB after A) in RONE
40 evaluate CANT 2 meanings
41 airy EXEDRA (EX + RA) around (E + D)
42 tame ORION O’ + LION with R for L
43 underselling LHASA LA around HAS
44 past OGEN MELON GO < + (MEN * + LO) in EN
45 are LIKEST LIKES + (ro)T
46 beads EAT E(nded) A(ll) T(roubles)
47 otter RATTY TARTY *; ref. The Wind in the Willows
Down
1 villain BRUNETTE NET in BRUTE
2 extortion RERUN (MANURER − MA) <
3 technology EINSTEIN NINETIES *
4 half ANAGRAM A + NAG + RAM
5 enabled LE DOUANIER (ON A RUDE LIE) *; ref. Henri Rousseau
6 was YEAGER Y + EAGER
7 out MR TOAD T in ROAD after M
9 Ryanair TOE-IN (I NOTE) *
10 largely NANAK (Madon)NA NAK(ed)
11 diamonds SHAWLLESS SHAWS around SELL <
12 your LAVAGE LAVA + GE(ts)
19 oranges NYAS (SAY + N) <
21 unforgiving CONSTRAINT CON + TRAIN in ST
22 food WARIBASHI (A + RIB) in WASH + I
26 Love SULTRILY SU(p) + (I’LL TRY) *
27 yoghurt SEACUNNY SUNNY around (EA + C)
29 cold AHAB HA in (A + B(ath))
31 designed ERITREA TIRE < + REA(lly)
32 open-topped ENROLL (gre)EN ROLL(s)
33 doughboys EMERGE (EG + REME) <
34 Greek NICAEA (ANAEMIC − M) *
35 so-and-sos TWEAK T + WEAK
36 organisms ZOEAS ZO + EAS(e)
38 negates EBOOK E + BO + OK
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