Rugby Line Compromise by Mountain Ledges

Puzzle explanation

The letters derived from misprints and their corrections spelt “Bir Tawil; terra nullius”. Letters clashing in the grid spelt “Halaib Triangle”. Egypt and Sudan disagree about where the border is between the two countries: Egypt asserts the “political” boundary that follows the circle of latitude known as the 22nd parallel north, which was agreed with the United Kingdom in 1899, but Sudan maintains the “administrative” boundary that was established by the UK in 1902. The result is that Bir Tawil is claimed by neither country and the Halaib Triangle is claimed by both. The dots (for clashes) were joined in the grid to represent both versions of the border, with the enclosed quadrilateral being Bir Tawil and the open area on the right being the Halaib Triangle. The puzzle’s title refers to the 22-metre line in rugby, and thus indirectly to the 22nd parallel.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Misprint; correction Answer Explanation
Across
1 (S)ill; K NAPOO PAN < + O + O
4   MUSK-POUCH (USK + PO) in MUCH
10   ELEGY EG in ELY
11 (F)ine; L TELESM (MEETS + L) *
12   BEANPOLE BOLE around (PEAN with first letter moved to the end)
14 di(N)er; V PALAMA PANAMA with L for N
18   ENSNARES ENS + NARES
19   LEEWARD (DRAW + EEL) <
20   SETNESS WETNESS with S for W at the start
21   LEIPOA IPO in LEA
22   NOTA (A(rthropodal) T(horaxes) + ON) <
24   PSI PS + (Ferrar)I
26 L(I)tter; E RHO HO after R
27   AMIR MI in AR
28   OWLETS LOWEST *
29   SIENNAS (ANNE + IS) < + S
30   LUNATIC NAT in (s)LUIC(e)
31   EVEN-EVEN NÉVÉ < + NÉVÉ <
34 rever(S)e; I MENYIE (ragti)ME (sympho)NY (rever)IE
36 fi(S)t; A ID AL-FITR LAIRD * around FIAT − A’
37 De(W)s; U MIDSTS D in MIST’S
38   DANNY DAN + NY
39   SOLA TOPEE (ATOP + E(ngineer)) in SOLE
40 f(I)rmer; O ETENS TENSE with letters cycled
Down
1   NEBULAR UNABLE * + R
2   PLACEBO PLACE + B + O’
3   OGPU (UP + GO) <
4 Ma(O); Y MYOGRAM M(a)Y + MORAG *
5   UPLED (quadr)UPLED
6 (B)oy’s; H KEPS SPEAK < − A
7 s(P)rain; T PLANTA PLA(y) around ANT
8 l(O)st; U USA (l)US(t) + A
9   AMASS (M + A) in ASS
11 (T)ill; H TENSOR ENS in TOR
13 (C)ard; Y NEW PENNY NEW(t) + PEN + N + Y
15 l(O)g; A LANGLAUF (ULNA + LAG) * + F
16   MESS-TIN MESS + TIN
17 B(C)G; U BEEHIVE BEETLE with HIV for TL
22   NISEIS (EL-SISI + N) * − L
23   ROULADE LABOURED * − B
24 ca(D); T PETRINE PET + BRINE − B
25   ASCARIS AIR-SACS *
27   AGEIST A + GIST around E
29 Son(Y); S SEMIS S + (S + DIME) < − D
30   ENDUE END + EU <
32 (N)an; B VETO VET + O
33   BLAE ((regim)E AL-B(ashir)) <
35 No(R); T NIL (a)NIL(e)
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