Overseas Outing by Chalicea

Puzzle explanation

The extra letters in wordplay spelt out “erase one across; colour twenty-one; complete six”. Accordingly, 1ac SNAKES and the following snakes were removed: 24ac BOA(tel), 39ac BOMA, 40ac LANGAHA, 1dn SEPS, 2dn NAIA, 19dn ASP(ire), 20dn COBRA, 37dn KAA (from The Jungle Book). The 40 blank cells were to be coloured to represent the SEA (21ac) surrounding the shape of Ireland, from which SAINT PATRICK (6dn) is said to have banished snakes. Any colour was accepted for the shading, and solvers were not marked wrong for shading the SEA cells as well, though that was geographically dubious.

The puzzle was published on St Patrick’s day, which was also the day of the 2018 Listener Dinner in Paris. The title referred to both the dinner and the banishment of snakes.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation [extra letter]
Across
9 INSTATED IN + STAT[E] + ED
11 PICOT [R]IP < + COT
12 AREG (GE[A]R + A) <
13 SAE (E + AS[S]) <
14 TRIN INT[E]R *
15 VILE V[O]ILE
16 BATMAN BA[N]T + MAN
18 TESTA SET < + AT[E] <
20 CLEANS [A]LE in CANS
22 SANGRAAL (LA(d) SAN(g) GRA[C](e)) *
24 BOATEL LET < after BOA[R]
27 CHAI M[O]CHA − M + I
29 RACH CAR[S] < + (crus)H
31 PARRAL PL around ARRA[S]
32 CRUET CRU + ET[C]
35 ELSE (feebl)E L[O]SE(rs)
36 DEONTICS (IN O[L]D SECT) *
38 STANK S[O] + TANK
39 BOMA M in [U]-BOA(t)
40 LANGAHA (carniva)L [R]ANG A HA(ndbell)
Down
1 SEPS PES[T]S *
2 NAIA (T)AI[W]AN <
3 KNOT TOK[E]N *
4 ESTRANGE [N]EST + RANGE
5 STEIN STIN[T] around E
7 STAVESACRES VERSACE * in STA[Y]S
8 CERISE CER[O] + IS + (r)E(d)
9 ICE TEA [N]ICE + (i)TE(m) + A
10 DELTA ALTER[E]D * − R
17 ALSO [C]ALLS + O(verlooked) − L
19 ASPIRE A + PI in S[O]RE
20 COBRA COB + RA[M]
23 BALSAM SA[P] in BALM
25 ACROSS [L]ACROSS(e)
26 LATINA LAT[E] + IN + A
28 HALLOA HALL + [T]O + A
30 ACES CEAS[E] *
33 UNTO UN[S]TOP − P
34 ET AL (clu)E(s) + TA[I]L
37 KAA KA + A[X]
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