Best Practice by Ares

Puzzle explanation

The first letters of the extra words in clues spelt out “Observe BP’s advice when breaking camp”. BP was a nickname of Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scout Movement. In his book Paddle Your Own Canoe, he wrote “Every Scout knows the order about camping, that when you break up your camp there are two things which you should leave behind you: The first is — nothing. The second — your thanks.” There are other phrasings of the rule but the meaning is always that nothing should “remain” apart from one’s thanks. Accordingly, everything other than YOUR THANKS was erased in the completed grid (shown here for information). Baden-Powell’s nickname was echoed in his motto “Be Prepared” and in the title of this puzzle.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra word Answer Explanation
Across
1 outruns NUTKIN NUT + KIN
6 Britons AJOWAN A + JO(y) + W(orking) A(t) N(issan)
11 shirt EVAPORATE EVE around (A + RA in POT)
13 emotion ELIDE (cru)EL I DE(cide)
14 retreating KNUR (K + R) around NU
15 Veldt’s LENGTHY LEY around (NG + TH)
16 excellent ASSET TESSA <
17   HEFT H + EFT
18 Beta-blocking OLIO O’ + OIL <
19   MAHOUND MOUND around (A + H)
22 Petain’s OUT UPON OUT + UP + ON
24   GNUS SUNG <
29 scars LINN L + IN + N
31   IDAHO abbreviated to ID
32 ambling MAKE WAR MAAR around KEW
33 dodgy YESK (m)Y (wif)E (sup)S (plon)K
34 vegetation SPACE SP + ACE
35 Italians UNSAINTLY AIN’T in UN-SLY
36   SETOSE SET + NODOSE − NOD
37 Casanova OUSELS OÙ + SE(l)LS
Down
1 Eye-tooth NIELLO (ONE ILL) *
2 women UNLEAL (UNCLE + AL) − C
3 Haida TLINGIT TIT around LING(o)
4 English KEDGY KY around (h)EDG(e)
5 nabbing NATHEMO (OATH MEN) *
7 blossom JONATHAN 2 meanings
8 ravaged WARST WARS + T
9   ATWEEN A + TWEE + N
10   NESTED ST in NEED
12 edges RUST RUSH with T for H
17   HAPLOSIS (PHIALS SO) *
20 Awkward ANNATTO ANN + OTTA(r) <
21 kid’s UNAWARE (NEW AURA) *
22 increased ODIOUS IOUS after O/D
23 Nearly UNDONE (fo)UND ONE(self)
25 German URACIL (PARTICULAR − PART) *
26 combination STRESS S + TRESS
27 authority SAYST S(h)A(k)Y (a)S (i)T(’s)
28 March RHEA HARE *
30 plague PEPYS PEPS around Y
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