A Tale of Two Cities by Wan

Puzzle explanation

The extra words in clues and the letters in each clash cell were jumbles of birds. The initial letters of the birds from clues spelt “Aristophanes”; most of the ones in the grid spelt The Birds, read row by row. The cities in Aristophanes’ play were Athens and Cloud-cuckoo-land, the city in the sky to which the birds withdrew. The extra clash at 24 gave the goddess Iris, who sneaked into Cloud-cuckoo-land but was caught and allowed to leave. In the grid, ATHENS is thematically missing its “hen”.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra word Answer Explanation
Across
1   PINERIES PERI around IN + ES
6   HONORARY HOARY around RON <
11   LUMME LUMP with ME for P
12   ARABAS A in ARABS
14 Ian → ani OUTBRED RE in DOUBT *
15   EPOCH COP < in EH
16   TIRED TIRE + D
17   DIALING DILLING with A for L
18   TAIVERS (RATS VIE) *
19   ANTAEAN ANTA + EA + (Partheno)N
20 hear → rhea CODDLE COD + IDLE − I
22   LYSE (sandf)LY SE(ems)
24   IRIDEAL SIRI − S + DEAL
26   BOWMEN B + WOMEN with W moved
32   KOOLAH (HOOK around (A + L)) <
34 cider it → icterid OUTGONE GOUT with G moved + ONE
35   GRIP GRIPE − E
37   MUDRA (DRUM + A) *
38   ATTAR ATTAP with R for P
39 Wan’s → swan SHOER HORSE *
40   OSTIOLE O’ + STOLE around I(man)
41   OSSI GOSSIP − GP (separated)
42 slater → tarsel RUIN FREUDIAN − DEAF *
43   FAT FT around A
44   ALEYES YES after ALE
Down
1 low → owl PHOTIC HOT in PIC
2   TETRADS TELE-ADS with TR for LE
3   IMBEDDED I + MBE + DUDE − U + ’D
4   SEEDBED SEED around DBE
5 type → pyet AM-DRAM MAD * + RAM
6   REELING EEL in RING
7   OMENTAL O + MENTAL
8 hanged → hagden ABODES SEA < around BOD
9   YSHEND Y + SEND around H
10   CUBIST CUB + IS + T(int)
13   ACHARS A + CHAR + S
21 octave → avocet ABORTIVE ABOVE around (RT + I’)
23   YOUTHS YOU + THUS − U
24   SCOURS SS around (CO + UR(n))
25 Unhand → nhandu AKRASIA AIA around (K + RAS)
27   OLITORY (h)O(l)L(y) I(n) T(w)O (t)R(a)Y(s)
28   GOBS OF OBS in FOG <
29 easy → eyas UTMOST UT + (MOT around S(tudent))
30   UNDER (ND + ER) after U
31   CEROUS SOURCE *
33   HAREMS HAS around (RE + M)
36 Oars → sora or soar PALE PACE with L for C
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