Work in Question by Seps

Puzzle explanation

The puzzle marked the 175th anniversary of the death of Frédéric Chopin. Affected words in five clues had a synonym for CHOP in, that had to be removed. In five other clues the wordplay led to the remainder if one would “chop” IN from the answer. The corrections to clue misprints spelt “genre title, not nickname” (nicknames of Chopin pieces were replaced in the grid by their musical forms) and “minim”. The highlighting in the shape of a minim (𝅗𝅥) consisted of POLISH (Chopin’s nationality) and (George) SAND, his sometime lover; both words are also verbs for making something smooth or shiny by rubbing. The puzzle’s title cryptically indicated CHOPIN as [OP in CHIN].

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Affected word; misprint Answer [entry]; (unclued letters) Explanation
Across
1   HEROIC [POLONAISE] (EROS − S) in HIC
10   RH(IN)AL (ca)R HAL(ted)
11 S[cut]um PALLET ALL in PET
12 (G)etter EXACTER EX + TRACE *
13 (E)ats MENU MEN + U
14 wi(N)ged LAROID (A LORD) * around I
16 (R)hino ON-LEND ON END around L
18 Po(E)t’s PERDIE PER DIE(m)
20 Reci(T)e DAVEN DAVENPORT − PORT
21   ZON(IN)G ZOG around N
24 D(I)tch TENAIL NET < + AIL
25 pos(T)s ANTAE ANT + AE
26 w[hack]ed WEDELN LEN * after WED
29 Vita(L) ANANKE N in (A + NAKE(d))
31 t(E)e STANCE C in STANE
32 si(N)ger LARK L + ARK
33 r(O)ars SHOUTER UT in HORSE *
35 No(T)es TRIADS (AS DIRT) *
36   ARS(IN)E EARS *
37 coi(N) MINT STATE TINTS * in MATE
Down
1   RAINDROP [PRELUDE] DRAIN * in ROP(y)
2 b(I)t LIARD LID around (A + R)
3 (C)ancer ONCOGEN ON + CO + GEN
4 Li(K)e NATIONAL (tow)N + (r)ATIONAL
5 (N)appy ALE E-LA <
6 He(A)l SAIN I(njured) in SAN
7 (M)ilk BLEED ((sue)DE ELB(ows)) <
8 scal[lop]ed NENNIGAI (E + ANNING) * + I
9   REVOLUTIONARY [ÉTUDE] (OLD VARIETY ROUTINE) * − EDIT *
11 be(E)s PROPOLIS PROP + SILO <
15   DOZ(IN)ESS DOZE(n) + S(uffer)S
17 c[hew]able CATENARY (CATER + ANY) *
19 toe[clip]s ENACTORS (CAN + R + TOES) *
22   (IN)FAUST US in FAT
23 (M)atch REFEREE ERE in FREE *
26   MINUTE [WALTZ] UNIT * in ME
27 (I)ran DARIC CARDI *
28 Ma(N)y ENTIA (Pot)ENTIA(lly)
30 Sunn(I) KADI (I + DAK) <
34 do(M)e HAT AT after H
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