Two Names by Deuce

Puzzle explanation

The unclued entries in order 1 to 7 were the classification of a human in Linnaean taxonomy: ANIMALIA, CHORDATA, MAMMALIA, PRIMATES, HOMINIDAE, HOMO, SAPIENS. The initial letter pairs from the across clues’ extra words gave “he is like the protagonist of Genesis two twenty”, a reference to the Bible verse “And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.” Similarly, the down clues gave “a name to conjoin as in the close of the passage”, referring to Adam’s (lack of a) partner. The top row of the grid was unjumbled to show CARL LINNAEUS, and his wife SARA MORAEA was highlighted in the bottom row, reading from right to left.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

Extra word Answer Explanation
lilies ALAE A(l)L A(r)E
indie ALAPA AA around LAP
Lowry ALARUM MURAL < after A
good AMNIO (O(ffspring) + IN + MA) <
German ANT GIANT − GI
economist ANTI (c)A(n)N(o)T (w)I(n)
enchanting AROMA A + ROMA
tale ASP SP after (Cleopatr)A
straight BALLOT BLOT around (A + L)
ash BEMA BEAM *
neatly BIAS BIS around A(le)
officiants CIRRI C + RR in II
healthy CURSE CURÉ around S
Seismic CYMAR (curren)CY MAR(kets)
sin EDITOR (call)ED IT OR(iginal); ref. William Rees-Mogg, former Times editor
two FURRIER (b)UR(n) in FRIER
onyx IN TOTO IN TOTO; ref. dog in The Wizard of Oz
thrush IROKO ROK in IO
assault LAMASERAI MAS in AERIAL *
O’Connor LEEDS NEEDS with L for first letter
island LIANA (A + NAIL) <
Wolff MAGI (ectoder)M AGI(tated)
joules NATO N + ATOM − M
intaglio NEIL LIEN <
keyless OBDURE OB + DUE around R
Rolling OPAL O PAL
gently ORE O + R(ock) + E
nibbles POINTER 2 meanings
amateur RADIAN RADIAN(t)
Tyne RASES R + SEAS *
epic RHINODON RHINO + DON
office RILLES (COLLIERS − CO) *
ethyl SPUNKIER SPUN + KIER
safely STIR 2 meanings
through TAIGA T(r)A(c)I(n)G (o)A(k)
them TATAMI TAT + AMI
stocking TILE HAT (THE TAIL) *
epitaph UMBRA UMBRIA − I
Analogue USB US + B
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