Hidden Philosophy by Xanthippe

Puzzle explanation

In quadrant A, the thematic answers were fish “swimming” (entered as anagrams); quadrant B had trees “pollarded” (entered without their top letter); C had rivers “meandering” (following a crooked path); D had birds “up” (entered upwards). Extra letters in A clues spelt “amend a letter misprint”; B clues contained misprints with corrections spelling “add a letter”; C clues had missing letters that spelt “remove a word”; D clues had extra words, giving “complete the quote using letters from SPRINT ROVER CATCH”. The letters of SPRINT ROVER CATCH were the unchecked ones in the quotation running through the quadrants, from Adam Smith’s Essays on Philosophical Subjects, in which he describes philsophy as “that science which pretennds to lay open the connections that unite the various appearances of nature”.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Modified/ extra words Answer Explanation
A Across (two extra letters)
1 (AM)is REALISM IS in REALM
6 (E)very, s(N)ug VUGS V + SUG with S moved back
7 race(D), (A)isle TAT TT around (be)A(ch)
8 ro(L)e, stag(E) DEER REED <
9 (T)ell Gran(T) LANGREL (ELL GRAN) *
11 h(E)a(R)s UNHANDS UN + HAS around (N + D)
12 (M)over, w(I)eld EFFUSE FE < + FUSE
A Down
1 leave(S) u(P) REVALUE R(etail) + (LEAVE U) *
2 swimming SOLE LE after SO
3 (RI)sen INTERNS (SEN IN + T(ide) R(ip)) *
4   SANDER (ANDES + R) with S moved to the top
5   SAMLET ’S + AMULET − U
10 are(N)a (T)urn’s GAU G + A + U(rn)
B Across (misprint)
13 (A)rouse UPRAISE (PAIR SUE) *
19 (D)og PLUG PUG around (bi)L(lboard)
20 Ol(D) OHO O + HO(t)
21 (A) NAD (vitami)N A D(ense)
22 sett(L)es OPTS STOP *
23 Tre(E) ELUVIUM ELM around (VI in (U + U))
24 S(T)y PENNY PEN + NY
B Down
13   NUT PINE NUT + PIN + E
14 (T)en ROUND UP 2 meanings
15 pollarded MANGROVE MAN + GROVE
16 w(E)ll ISOSPIN I + SO + S + PI + N
17 co(R)e EGOISM (O’ + (UN)IS(ON)) in EGM
18   OIL PALM PAL after OIL + M
C Across (missing letter)
25 li[R]e SMOLTS (L + T) in MOSS *
31 past[E] MISO (museu)M IS O(pen)
33 [M]Ike RISS MISS with R for M
34 C[O]s OSMIC (COS I’M) *
36 Na[V]y HEN HE + N
37 t[E]ar RIPPIER RIP + PIER
C Down
26 Meandering MISSISSIPPI MISSIS + SIPPING − NG
27 CI[A] OSSIS OSS + IS
28 [W]hole LOT (Po)LO T(rademark)
29 r[O]use STERNER RN in STEER
30 T[R]ot KRÓNUR (RUN + WORK) < − W
31   MISSOURI MI around (I + S + SOUR)
32   OTTER TOTTER − first T
35 bear[D] CHAI C + HAI(r)
D Across (extra word)
38 complete PSALM PSA + L + M
42 the REALLOT (A + TROLLE(y)) *
44 quote ICHOR ICH + FOR − F
46 using PURR PUR(e) + R
47 letters SAND BAR SAND + BAR
48 from ENGRASP (NAGS REP) *
D Down
38 sprint PRIMSIE IS < in PRIME
39 Rover AAH AA + H
40   REDPOLL RED + POLL
41   SPARROW ROW after SPAR
43 up PARROT P + (c)ARROT
45 catch SNAG GANGS < − G
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