Solving time: about an hour
I solved a fair number of clues cold and then wondered what was going on, but then saw that all the answers with different lengths to the grid entries were one letter shorter and contained IT. Possibly with the help of some checking letters, the phrase RUN FOR IT was then a fairly obvious candidate to fit 20A. The double replacements in the centrally placed HOSPITALITY and CASSITERITE are a nice touch, as is the high proportion of answers with the transformation.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | TACIT = TACRUN – C.I. in TAT |
| 6 | A,B(S)IT = ABSRUN |
| 10 | (no)VITIATE = VRUNIATE |
| 12 | Y(IT)ES = YRUNES |
| 13 | FIT,T = FRUNT |
| 15 | (d)ITAS = RUNAS |
| 16 | SMIT,S = SMRUNS |
| 18 | SHELTER = Shetl(and)er* |
| 22 | HOSPITALITY = HOSPRUNALRUNY – (I play it host)* |
| 25 | TI(T)TLES = TRUNTLES |
| 29 | I,TEM(p) = RUNEM/td> |
| 31 | ROU(PI)T = ROUPRUN |
| 33 | NITE=”kinght”,R = NRUNER |
| 34 | NO(U.,L.)D |
| 35 | NEUME = (att)UNEME(nts)* |
| 36 | LI,TER- = LRUNER |
| 37 | M(A NEAT)ER |
| 38 | EA,SSEL=less rev. – kept looking for a 6-letter river as the answer, with the direction as SE, even when this implied a triple S. |
| 39 | RESIT = RESRUN – tries* |
| Down | |
| 1 | THYRSE – H in tyres* |
| 2 | CITES,S = CRUNESS |
| 3 | I.,TALA = RUNALA |
| 4 | NIS,S(enil)E |
| 5 | CASSITERITE = CASSRUNERRUNE – ((h)ere is static)* |
| 6 | AT,A.,MAN |
| 7 | SUITOR = SURUNOR – (is out, R)* |
| 8 | R,I.,T(es)T = RRUNT |
| 9 | NUT,LET |
| 11 | UNSAINT – Ant(on)ius* |
| 19 | DO,I,TED = DORENED |
| 21 | F,LIT = FLRUN |
| 23 | PNEUMAS = Supe(r)man* |
| 24 | UNI,TER(m) = UNRUNER |
| 25 | TIT(L)E = TRUNLE |
| 26 | LIEN,(A)L = of the spleen |
| 27 | S.P.,OUTS |
| 28 | bOsuN a DrIfT = ONDRUN |
| 30 | NI=in rev.,T.,S. = NRUNS |
| 32 | (b)OILER |
34A: NOULD is an obsolete past tense of the archaic veb NILL = REFUSE (as in the clue).
NOULE is Spenserian for NOLL = top of the head.
I can find no connection between Spenser, refused and the answer. Am I missing something?