Form..ation by Mr E

Puzzle explanation

The second letters of most of the extra words spelt out “The little one stops to shut the door”, from verse four of the children’s song The Ants Go Marching (sung to the tune of When Johnny Comes Marching Home):

The ants go marching four by four,
Hurrah, hurrah!
The ants go marching four by four,
Hurrah, hurrah!
The ants go marching four by four,
The little one stops to shut the door
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain
Boom, boom, boom

Inserting the fourth letters of the other extra words into the previous line gave “The (conson)ants go marching four by four”, referring to the set of the 20 consonants (excluding Y) highlighted in diagonal lines of four in the grid. The puzzle’s title refers to the marching formation and to formication, a feeling like ants creeping on the skin.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra word Answer Explanation
Across
1 s(T)aying SKID S + KID
5 t(H)ree INK-FISH (o’cloc)K in FINISH *
10 m(E)dics LIQUOR LAWS (AS WILL OUR + Q) *
11 A(L)coholic ALTAIR A + T in LAIR
13 k(I)lled RELIC ELI in RC
15 s(T)oring CABANA CABMAN − M + A
16 chi[C]ken HEAVEN HEN around AVE
17 s(T)ipulate SMUT MUST *
20 b(L)ood CROTALINE (p)ERCOLATIN(g) *
21 Any[O]ne ANGLEWORM (ALONG + W + MR E) *
24 s(E)rvices LYRE (ear)LY RE(stored)
25 s(O)up DEFEAT DEF + EAT
27 k(N)ew LOONIE LOO + IN < + E
30 b(E)aux FRUIT FIT around RU
31 A(S)k NEW AGE NE WAGE
32 i(T)s PREDICABLE PREDICTABLE − T(ype)
33 pla[N]tations RESIDUA (IS DUE) * in RA
34 n(O)t MEEK KEEM(a) <
Down
1 O(P)t SLASH 2 meanings
2 i(S)sues KILKENNY (LINK + Y(or)K + NE) *
3 a(T)tainment DUAL LAUD <
4 f(O)ur VOICER (O + ICE) in VR
5 a(S)sociates IRRENOWNED (IN NEW ORDER) *
6 t(H)reat KARAKA KRAKATOA * = TO + KARAKA
7 P(U)ritan’s ISLAMIZED MIZ in LADIES *
8 s(T)ickweed SPIN SPAIN − A
9 bea[S]t HICATEE HIC + ATE + (immatur)E
12 s(T)ill SCOTODINIA CAROTINOIDS * − R
14 s(H)ort RAP GROUPS RAP + GRO(wn-)UPS
18 tro[O]pship’s UNTANGLE (AT GUNNEL) *
19 r(E)newing CALL FOR C + ALL FOR
22 A(D)optees EXITED (EX + ED) around IT
23 fro[N]t REJECT C in (RE + JET)
26 w(O)rkmen THEEK (KEITH phonetically) <
28 p(O)lluting ORNE OR + NE
29 p(R)ayer SWAM SWAMI − I
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