Bright Spark by Shark

Puzzle explanation

The extra letters in clues spelt out “sheet, forked, chain, ball, blitz”, words for lightning. Letters discarded from clashes gave “Ben Franklin”. The final grid portrays his experiment using a KITE and a KEY on a wet STRING to extract electricity from lightning into a LEYDEN JAR.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra letter Answer Explanation
Across
2   SOFI SOF(t) + I
5   GRASSY GRASS + (Part)Y
10 (S)he LEVI LEVI(n); ref. Primo Levi
12 s(H)ot TALK T + ALKIE − IE
14   MONILIAE MILIA around ON + E; the plural is in the OED and Oxford Dictionary of English
15 wok(E) KERB (wo)K + ER + B
16   RENDERS REMINDERS − MI
18   ENSILED DELI < after ENS
20 mad(E) GYTE GY(ra)TE
21 learn(T) CONICS (CON + C + S) around I’
23 (F)at SCEATT AT in (SECT with contents reversed)
26   TARN 2 meanings
27   HARSH HARDISH − DI
29 b(O)ard RAILE (gam)E after RAIL
31   BUMS 2 meanings
33   AIRGLOW ((h)AIR(y) + LOW) around G
36 A(R)t INK IN IN + KIN
39 gun(K) SANG-DE-BOEUF (OF SEABED GUN) *
40 (E)wing ELL EL + L
41 pow(D)er YPLAST (Y + LAST) around P
43   SEE A WOLF EASE * + FLOW <
44   DAYDREAMERS READY * around D:REAM + (1980)S
Down
1 lan(C)e BLOKEISH BISH around LOKE
2 (H)and SELENIC ECLIPSE * with ’N’ for P(rotection)
3   OVERSEEN 2 meanings
4   LIMBIC LI(t) + MB + I/C
6   NAIN NAVARIN − VAR
7 (A)side ALL ALL(y)
8 Runn(I)er SKIEY SKI + E(gg) Y(olk)
9   SKIRTS STRIKES < − (Th)E
11   HOLLO HOLLO(w)
13   DESERT 2 meanings
17   EAN (j)EAN(s)
19 bar(N) DIOR ROD < around I
22 (B)rag SAIL ASSAIL − (A + S)
24 se(A)t ASSIGNED AS + SIGNED
25 Co(L)in’s TRIKE STRIKE − (debt)S
26   TAK TALK − L; ref. 12ac
28 S(L)ide HANDJAR HAND + RAJ <
30 (B)one LOCUST LOT around (C + US)
31   VISÉED SEE in VID
32 (L)ending MANLEY ((Jamaica)N + LE(x)) in MAY
34 t(I)es WEFTES WEF + TES
35   SALSE S in SALE
37 (T)urn NOLL OLL(a) after (Quee)N
38   NEALE NÉ + ALE
42 (Z)one POA PO + A
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