Spy by Karla

Puzzle explanation

The extra words in down clues were anagrams of US cities plus an extra letter. The letters spelt out “look for America”, the motif in the song America by PAUL Simon and ART Garfunkel. The lyrics include the lines:

She said the man in the gabardine suit was a spy. I said “Be careful, his bowtie is really a camera”

Accordingly, 20ac was changed from BOWTIE to CAMERA. The corrections to misprints spelt “initial; straight lines”. An A, the initial of America, was formed by drawing straight lines through the grid’s five occurrences of the letter A (those in PAUL, ART, CAMERA and another in row 2).

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Misprint/extra words (jumble + letter) Answer Explanation
Across
1 m(I)nus BLESS B + LESS
6 li(N)e COUPLET (POE CUT) * around L
12 sh(I)p LIMNER M in LINER
13 (T)ar ABOLISH AB + (P)OLISH
14 S(I) LUXOR LUX + OR
16 s(A)y BEGGING LETTER (B + EG + GINGER) around LETT
17 ree(L)ing BIREMES SIB < around MERE *
19 ma(S)ter ILLS MILLS − M
20 (T)ug BOW TIE BOW + TIE
22 Bar(R)els DURUMS DRUMS around U
24 r(A)m STUPOR SOR(t) around TUP
28 f(I)x INPUTS (UNITS + P) *
31 pa(G)e OLPE ELO < around P
33 s(H)ut STIFLES STILES around F
35 al(T)o STATISTICIANS (STIC(k) + I + A) in STATINS
38 (L)imes MILNE ((old)EN LIM(es)) <
39 R(I)ver DELEBLE DEE around BELL *
40 An(N)us GRETEL GREAT − A + EL
41 g(E)l ORESTES (f)ORES(t) + SET <
42 (S)hilling PEYSE P + S in EYE
Down
1 alongside (San Diego + L) BLUBBED BULB < + BED
2   LIVE IT UP LIVE + IT + UP
3   ÉMIGRÉ MIG in ERE
4 old patron (Portland + O) SNUG GUNS <
5   PRUNE PRUNELLA − ALL <
7 never do (Denver + O) OBOLI (tw)O BOLI(vars)
8   PLOTINUS PLOT + IN US
9 tot irked (Detroit + K) LITTLE ELLIOTT * − O
10   ESNE SEEN with inner letters moved to outside
11 faults (Tulsa + F) THURSO THURS + O(pen)
14 so lame (Salem + O) LIMO LI + MO
15   RESET E in REST
18 Paroles (El Paso + R) STEPS (S + PETS) <
20   BURETTES BU + SETTER <
21   LOZENGES (G + SEEN) * after (L + OZ)
23 laboured (Boulder + A) MINIM MINI + M
25 tsunami (Austin + M) RISSOLE RIS(k) + SOLE
26 outshone (Houston + E) DOSI-DO (DO + DO) around SI
27   EPAULE APE < + (r)ULE(r)
29   TICE NOTICE − NO
30 Trod some (Modesto + R) CLARTY CLAY around (Ta)RT(an)
32 no fries (Fresno + I) ESILE (EEL IS) *
34 telecast (Seattle + C) TINGE (spoil)T IN GE(ttysburg)
36 cans out (Tucson + A) TEER R after TEE(pee)
37   IDÉE (J)I(ll) + DEE
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