One Across by Lionheart

Puzzle explanation

Half the clues had a word translated into German. Extra letters in the rest spelt out “three cross, one parallel”, which described both the arrangement in the grid and the type of relationship of four pairs of cousins-german. Tom Cruise and William Mapother are parallel cousins (sons of brothers) while the rest are cross cousins (children of a brother and sister): Sissy Spacek and Rip Torn, Jane Eyre and St John Rivers, Orestes and Pylades. “Once removed” in the preamble was a hint (though these cousins are all of the same generation), and the title referred to cousins’ relative positions in a family tree.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra letter/German word Answer Explanation
Across
1 fast [almost] CASE-HARDENED (AS + HE(r) + CAR ENDED) *
9 Grab [grave] RIPT RIP + T
10 new(T) ORNATE ORATE around N
11 (H)eel ELANCE (ax)E + LANCE
13 Bach [stream] RIVERS (IVES after R) around R
16 tag [day] OLÉ DOLE − D
17 Dick [fat] OBESE SEE * after (M)OB(y)
18 kind [child] SONLESS LESSONS *
20 Hea(R)d KHAN K + HAN
22 herd [stove] HOTPOT HOT + POT
23 boot [boat] CRUISE (CURSE + I) *
24 (E)logy YLEM (M(ichell)E L(og)Y) <
27 Nun [now] ROAD MAP (AD in ROMA) + P
29 mutter [mother] OTHER MOTHER − M
31 bier [beer] ALE (funer)AL E(xpenses)
34 On(E)’s SEASON ON after SEAS
35 See [sea] NERITA RETAIN *
36 (C)lough PROPYL (PRO + L) around PY
37 d(R)ead ADÈS HADES − H
38 die [the] ANATHEMATISE (THE STAMINA) * in (A + E)
Down
1 Rot [red] CREDOS CO’S around RED
2 (O)void SPACE SPA + CE
3 brand [fire] ETNA ETA around N
4 (S)exist AREA-SNEAK ARE + A + SNAKE *
5 (S)pa DÁIL DA + I + L
6 Alt [old] NEELE homophone of KNEEL
7 It(O)’s EYRE (one-tim)E (journe)Y (fo)R (judg)E
8 ta(N)king DESIST DET around SIS
10 plan(E)t OCREA E(x)A(m) after OCR
12 elf [eleven] LIBERO (I’ + B) in LORE *
14 (P)ride VOLTE (T + LOVE) *
15 gift [poison] COHYPONYM CO + HM around ((frisk)Y + PONY)
19 b(A)y SOREST ST around ORES
21 ca(R)ts HIDES HE’S around ID
23 re(A)ctor CRISTA C(urved) + (IT’S + A + R) *
25 Tink(L)er LOREL LORELEI − IE <
26 gut [good] GREASE (R + EASE) after G
28 (L)argo ALAPA (À LA + A(rgo)) around P
30 ER [he] HEIDI HE + II around D
31 (E)very AEON AE + NO <
32 schmuck [jewellery] POOH HOOP <
33 b(L)ack DRAT (spotte)D (fo)R (WPBS)A (tournamen)T
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