A Noted Performance by Nutmeg

Puzzle explanation

The puzzle is based on the traditional nursery rhyme The Grand Old Duke of York. In keeping with the second stanza, the down answers are entered up (6 entries), down (6), half up then half down (4) or half down then half up (6). THE DUKE OF YORK appears in the NW-SE diagonal.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation
Across
11 SHEEN SEEN around H
12 LOCKER LOCK-KEEPER − KEEP
14 ERECTERS ERE + CT + ERS
15 WELDED WIELDED − I
16 BETAINE ATE < in BINE
18 EULACHON (H + CLUE) < around A + ON
19 REMARKS RES around MARK
21 GRAND 2 meanings
22 TSAR RA(ci)ST <
23 TAELS STEAL *
24 EBBS E + BB + S(ite)
26 SEDAN SAN around ED
28 LOFTIER (O + FT) in LIER
31 IN GREMIO (MORE GIN) * after I
33 LANUGOS (GNU with first letter moved to end) in LAOS
35 GOYLES GARGOYLES − GAR
36 CANE-TOAD (TO DANCE + A) *
37 OLD MAN (TOLD − T) + MAN
38 NITRE (u)N(d)I(s)T(u)R(b)E(d)
39 BATTLE ROYAL (RALLY TO BEAT) *
Down
1 RAWEST WATERS *
2 THRENES THREES around N
3 HEELS homophone of HEALS
4 UNTRUE RUE after (h)UNT
5 SEEDCAKE CEASED * + K(nav)E
6 AIRBUS SUBMARINE * − MEN *
7 DOG TAGS GOD < + TAGS
8 KEPI (sna)KE-PI(t)
9 PENNON PENN around NO
10 FRIENDS (I + ENDS) after FR
13 CALCRETE LAC < + CRETE
17 PARAMOUR PUR(e) around AROMA *
20 FLOORING (LINO + G + FOR) *
22 ZOILIST ZO + I + LIST
23 TANGENT TAN GENT
25 BEPEARL EARL after (B + EP)
27 ENABLE BANE < + LE
28 SILAGE SAGE around I’L(l)
29 ONE-OFF ONE + OFF
30 RISKED RI + SK(i)ED
32 ATOLL TO in ALL
34 ADEN (abro)AD EN(glishmen)
Back to 2012 menu