The Harmony of Ratios by Ifor

Puzzle explanation

This puzzle marked the 75th anniversary of the BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs, cryptically indicated in the puzzle’s title as RAT (desert) + I (island) + O’S (discs). The items omitted from clue answers represented the castaway’s Bible, the works of Shakespeare and eight pieces of music. The grid highlighting showed the luxury item champers and the book Chambers. One choice of extra letters from clues spelt out “Desert Island Discs, Roy Plomley”; the other gave its “harmony”, the theme music “By the Sleepy Lagoon, Eric Coates”.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra letters Answer (omitted letters) Explanation
Across
2   T(OT)IE(NT)S (IN TO TEST) *
5 (D)e(B)ating INTEGRA EATING * around R
11 corps(E), wear(Y)ing CONICS (I + C) in CONS
12   SCAB(BARD) (B + BAR) in SCAD
13 (ST)raddled ARCHONTATE (ANOTHER ACT) *
15 sal(E), c(H)ased FUSAROL (FOR SAL) * around U
17   FORE(LAY) OF < + RELAY
18   AIR-T(RAP) AIR + PART <
19 Ris(E)s, b(R)ats SYRISM (RISS + M(an)Y) *
20 je(S)t, a(T) EJECTA (JET A EC) *
21 Wa(I)ving, he(L)p PHENIC (HEP IN) * + C
24   BACKER, PACKER (separate definitions)
27   T(RAG)ULE (GRATEFUL − F) *
28   (CATCH)ABLE CHAT * in CABLE
29 (S)potty, curat(E) ACTUARY AY around CURAT *
31 C(LE)ar ASCARIASIS (CAR + I + AS) in AS IS
32   FIL(ARIA)L FAMILIAR * − M + L
33 S(P)ent, we(A)ther MERINO MORE * around IN
34 si(N)ce, bosom(Y) ECDYSIS SICE < around (DAYS − A)
35   S(PORT)ING S(aturday) + PORT + ING
Down
1 bust(L)ed, (D)over SCARFS (ACROSS * − O) around F
2   TOR(MENTO)R MEN in TORT + OR
3 re(A)ction, (D)evolved INCORRECT (RECTION + CR) *
4 rei(G)ning, (I)conic SCOPAS (PASS + O) * around C(onic)
6 (SO)on NATURE NAT + RE after (J)U(ly)
7 so(O)n, (C)lapping TOAST TOT around AS
8 rese(N)t, (S)aver’s ESTATE CAR CARE * around STATE
9 St(R)ew, past(E) RAGOUT AGO in RUT
10 to(O), (R)ash ABULIA A(sh) + BULIMIA − I’M
14 Sh(Y), ma(I)d HEINOUSLY (SH ONLY + (m)I(s)U(s)E(d)) *
16 (P)ani(C)s ROCK-BASIN (ROCK + ANIS *) around B-
21 (CL)iff PIAFFE (IFF + APE) *
22 m(O)an, b(O)ring HECTIC (HE + TIC) around C
23 dog(MA) CURARI CUR + AIR *
25 (T)rai(L) AERIES (SEE RAI) *
26 on(E), on(E) REASON RE + A + S + ON
27 Anno(Y), cost(S) TACOS (A + COST) *
30   D(OAT)ING (AND I GOT) *
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