Not Again! by Dysart

Puzzle explanation

The first and last characters of extra words in down clues delivered “That’s basic spelling that every woman ought to know”, the conclusion of a quotation by Mistinguett that starts with “A kiss can be a comma, a question mark or an exclamation point.” Accordingly, the three clashes in row 5, where entering an X (kiss) for each would have made real words, formed COMMA, QUERY and PLING and were replaced by the respective punctuation marks , ? and !. The clashes in rows 10 and 11 yielded synonyms for “kiss” (SMACK, BUSS, PECK), each being represented by an X. The unclued 17dn was “Play it, Sam”, a quotation from the film Casablanca, where the pianist is asked to play As Time Goes By, the second line of which is “A kiss is still a kiss”. Accordingly, the latter three “kisses” were not converted to punctuation. Roald Dahl wrote a collection of short stories entitled Kiss Kiss. The answer to 1ac was thematic and its clue lacked a definition. The clue for 44ac contained the thematic set of punctuation marks (, ? !) in order. The puzzle’s title refers to the common misquotation of the line from the film as “Play it again, Sam.”

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra word Answer Explanation
Across
1   INTEROSCULATE CU(r) in (INTER + OS + LATE)
11   CAESURAL (A + RUSE) < in (s)CAL(e)
14   MIL homophone of MILL
15   ANILE NIL in AE
16   EERIE (b)EER + IE
17   PREY PREMY − M
18   RABID B in RAID
19   LAMA HAMAL < − H
20   HOARY HO + ARY
21   BOINGED BOEING with E moved + ’D
22   ASPS A(nalyst) S(ees) P(hallic) S(ymbols)
24   MISLAY MI + SLAY
26   YAUP AY < + UP
30   ROTA homophone of WROTE + A
31   PAPUAN APU in PAN
34   TRODE (Poe)T + RODE
35   THIN HINT with T moved to the front
37   OIL LIO(n) <
38   ASKING A-G around SKIN
39   ÉPÉES E + PEES
40   ANELE HELENA < − H(ermia)
41   ABUSION A + BUS + I’ + ON
42   EMU (f)EMU(r)
43   BEDSTRAW (D in BEST) + RAW
44   DELETERIOUSLY (ELDERLY + E + SUITO(r)) *
Down
2 though NAIRAS (AS NIGERIAN) * = (N(e)E(d)I(n)G + NAIRAS) *
3 agent TELECOM (LET COME) *
4 ’otels RUNYON RUN + YON
5 Burma ORIYA ROYA(l) * around I
6 Saudi SALIQUE AS < + QU in LIE
7 Classics CLERISY CLASSY with SIRE < for ASS
8 particle USEABLE U + E in SABLE
9 lull LEE-BOARD ((AB around O’) in REEL) < + D
10 ignition TRIDENT RIDE in TNT
12 got TRIPLY TRIP + L(argel)Y
13 hyena DEAD-FALLS (F + LAD) * in DEALS
23 textile SPADILLE AD in SPILLED − D
25 vegetable ITA (fru)IT A(nd)
27 ready ARRANGE RANG in ARE
28 who OPENEST (ONE’S PET) *
29 Mafia AUFGABE (AUG + ABE) around F
31 no POMACES POM + ACES
32 unsettling TIFOSO (SO + FIT) < + (Torin)O
33 host HIEMAL ((T)ALE + HIM) *
35 Two TASER (R + TASER) * = ARREST
36 known HEIDI DIE < in HI; ref. Johanna Spyri character
37 outlaw OCKERS (r)OCKERS
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