If I Must Come by Deuce

Puzzle explanation

The extra words in clues related to music and/or time. Letters in clashing cells formed a word from each title in A Dance to the Music of Time, the series of 12 novels by Anthony Powell inspired by a Nicolas Poussin painting, and were replaced by the title’s number in the series:

  1. A Question of Upbringing
  2. A Buyer’s Market
  3. The Acceptance World
  4. At Lady Molly’s
  5. Casanova’s Chinese Restaurant
  6. The Kindly Ones
  7. The Valley of Bones
  8. The Soldier’s Art
  9. The Military Philosophers
  10. Books Do Furnish a Room
  11. Temporary Kings
  12. Hearing Secret Harmonies

Corrections to the clue misprints gave “two authors, col seven”, so the middle column was rearranged to form POUSSIN POWELL. Extra letters in wordplay spelt “they do furnish a room”, a reference to the tenth title. The puzzle’s title was an anagram of MUSIC OF TIME.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Misprint/extra word Answer Explanation
Across
1 occasion [time] MOSS-FLOW WOLFS < after MOS; ref. 34ac
5 House [music] CONTRADICTIONS DI in CONTRACTIONS
11 trac(T) DOAB DO + AB
13 (W)ear POLONIE POLO + NIE
14 cr(O)ak FROGLING FR + OGLING
15 co(A)ch RAILBUS (SUB + LIAR) <
16 p(U)sh CYCLE CYCLONE − ON
17 (T)ipple FENI FEN + I
19 Bat(H)ed WET OUT W + E + T(eam) + OUT
21 bo(O)ks OEUVRES (OU + SERVE) *
22 chai(R) SPLAT SP + LAT
24 point [time] TAKERS T + (L)AKERS
26 measure [music] [time] BESEEMLY BEY around (SEE + ML)
29 stretch [time] PRIMARILY PRIMLY around AIR *
31 i(S)le SICAN SIC + A + N
32 (C)ase OCREATE PROCREATE − PR
34 h(O)gs EATS UP (com)E AT SUP(portive)
36 (L)ave BAYE BYE around A
37 (S)now IGLOO I(ncludin)G + LOO
39 s(E)x URNINGS homophone of EARNINGS
41 cur(V)es LINEARLY NIL < + EARLY
43 Plat(E)’s SEISMAL (treati)SE IS MAL(icious)
44 Grai(N) DARI DI around A(rthu)R
45 season [time] KICK ONESELF KIF around (LEN’S COKE) *
46 classical [music] CHEEKPIECE CHEEK + PIECE
Down
1 handbag [music] ORDER FORM OR + DER + FOR + M
2   SOFA SO + FA[T]
3   SAR RAS[H] <
4 metal [music] DRUG BARON DON around (RUG + BAR)
5   COLURE [E]CO + LURE
6   NON-TERM NORM around T[Y]NE *
7   DOHYO DO[D]O around H(ol)Y
8   INSCULP LP after C[O]USIN *
9   CIRL C(aught) I(s) [F](luttering) R(ound) L(amppost)
10 rock [music] QUEEREST ERE in QUEST
12   BOLIVIA B(i)O(f)[U](e)L (d)I(g) + VIA
18   EERIE [R]EVERIE − V
20   TARTY ARTY after [N]T
23   POE-BIRD (B + I) in PER[I]OD *
25   SCALDIC SCALD[S] + I/C
27   EXUVIAE [H]EX + UVAE around I
28 world [music] ADRENALINS (ALIENS − E) after (A + NERD <)
30 life [time] TEE SHIRTS (THIS TREE’S) *
31 opportunity [time] SWISSINGS SWISS + SING with first letter moved down
33   CARE OF (ARE[A] + O) in CF
35   TOMSK ((bric)KS MO[R]T(ar)) <
38   GLEI G[O] + LEI
40   GYRI G[O]Y + RI
42   LAP LA[M]P
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