A perimeter to fill in clued by surplus characters from each clue. Then highlight the final character in the completed grid. Sounds pretty straight forward, but probably isn’t
And bear in mind character can mean letter, number or punctuation (and letter).
The surplus characters spelled out 9 WORTHIES WERE THEY CALL’D OF DIFFERENT RITES – a medieval quotation describing chivalry.
I needed to google the line as it was way out of my knowledge area. The nine comprising:
3 PAGANS – Hector of Troy, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar
3 JEWS – Joshua, David and Judas Maccabee
3 CHRISTIANS King Arthur, Charlemagne and Godfrey of Bouillon
From top right going clockwise the perimeter fills as follows CAESAR; HECTOR; GODFREY; DAVID ALEX&ER; JOSHUA; ARTHUR; JUDAS with CHARLEMAGNE the missing worthy diagonally from top right.
Good fun – thanks Vagans
Key: * anagram; DD double definition; Rev. reversed; underline definition
Across
7 95 in unorthodox hordes sang in past for money before Lent (7)
5 9 in unorthodox hordes sang in past for money before Lent (7)
v(5) in (hordes)* = SHROVED
9 Player of music detained by austere women (6)
W 9 Player of music detained by austere omen (6)
Hidden auSTERE Omen = STEREO
10 Lively toot from Sabbath believers’ party (5)
O 10 Lively tot from Sabbath believers’ party (5)
s (sabbath) + camp (believers’ party) SCAMP
13 Curt conclusion is sequel to beginning of rant (4)
R 13 Cut conclusion is sequel to beginning of rant (4)
r(beginning of rant) + end (sequel) = REND
14 TED’s data occasionally banned pesticide (3)
T 14 ED’s data occasionally banned pesticide (3)
eDs DaTa (occasionally) = DDT
15 Old-fashioned thrill of carousel when tattered case removed (4)
H 15 Old-fashioned trill of carousel when tattered case removed (4)
(carousel – case)* = ROUL
16 Military service required for this land, said foe very loudly (5)
I 16 Military service required for this land, sad foe very loudly (5)
(foe)* + ff (very loudly) = FEOFF
18 Great era for Norman aide (7)
E 18 Great era for Norman aid (7)
tall(great) + age(era) = TALLAGE
21 Old girl drops Liberals, but takes time to abandon lover (4)
S 21 Old girl drops Liberal, but takes time to abandon lover (4)
jill(old girl) – l(liberal) + t (time) = JILT
22 Make safe way next to nurse (6)
W 22 Make safe ay next to nurse (6)
Sure(ay) after en (nurse)* = ENSURE
23 Flamboyant youth shattered timeworn cane (11,2 words)
E 23 Flamboyant youth shattered timeworn can (11,2 words)
(timeworn can)* = NEW ROMANTIC
24 Socially acceptable smile accommodates race in linguistic division (6)
R 24 Socially acceptable smile accommodates ace in linguistic division (6)
u (socially acceptable) + grin (smile) around a (ace) = UGRIAN
27 Journalist tracking Dominicans for personal column in rage (4)
E 27 Journalist tracking Dominicans for personal column in rag (4)
ed(journalist) after op (Dominicans) = OPED
28 Riot control agent‘s empty talk preceded by chat with rector (7,2 words)
T 28 Riot control agent’s empty talk preceded by cha with rector (7,2 words)
tea (cha) + r (rector) + gas (empty talk) = TEAR GAS
30 That? That is everyday veg (5)
H 30 Tat? That is everyday veg (5)
tat + ie (that is) = TATIE
32 Note out consequent on legislative assembly put in lying position (4)
E 32 Not out consequent on legislative assembly put in lying position (4)
in (not out) after la(legislative assembly) = LAIN
33 Tax on worthy returns for character from Tel Aviv (3)
Y 33 Tax on worth returns for character from Tel Aviv (3)
Rev. vat (tax on worth) = TAV
35 Tour in Beetle reversing round cone (4)
C 35 Tour in Beetle reversing round one (4)
Rev. dor (beetle) around a (one) = ROAD
36 Untouchable boy returned with ITA (5)
A 36 Untouchable boy returned with IT (5)
Rev. lad (boy) + IT = DALIT
37 Death after arsenic originally consumed: go black in time (6)
L 37 Death after arsenic originally consumed: go back in time (6)
end (death) after As (arsenic) + c (originally consumed) = ASCEND
38 Salle covered diamonds after soirée dispersed (7)
L 38 Sale covered diamonds after soirée dispersed (7)
(soiree)* around d (diamonds) = OSIERED
Down
1 In promo he’d expressed surprise (4)
‘D 1 In promo he expressed surprise (4)
ad(around) he = AHED
2 Good following propitiatory gift above 5)
O 2 God following propitiatory gift above 5)
Ra (god) after sop (propitiatory gift) = SOPRA
3 Spenser’s to go back about flopped hip armour (6)
F 3 Spenser’s to go back about lopped hip armour (6)
re(about) + culet(hip armour) – t = RECULE
4 Beloved girl featured in faked smears (4)
D 4 Beloved girl featured in fake smears (4)
Hidden fakE SMEars = ESME
5 VIIIth note to do with Kansas sandpipers (6)
I 5 VIIth note to do with Kansas sandpipers (6)
te (7th note) + re(to do with) + ks (Kansas) = TEREKS
6 Gave extra strength to old Fred installing new stuff in kitchen (9)
F 6 Gave extra strength to old red installing new stuff in kitchen (9)
red around n(new) + force (stuff in kitchen) = RENFORCED
8 Old coaches moved faster with large radius tyres at first (8)
F 8 Old coaches moved aster with large radius tyres at first (8)
(aster + rlt)* = RATTLERS
11 Phone alert: Al’s first LA demand gripes resident magistrate (9,2 words)
E 11 Phone alert: Al’s first LA demand grips resident magistrate (9,2 words)
a (AIs first) + LA + call(demand) around rm (resident magistrate) = ALARM CALL
12 Bit of old Germany source of harm capturing marshy area with navy (7)
R 12 Bit of old Germany source of ham capturing marshy area with navy (7)
pig (source of ham) around fen(marshy area) + n (navy) = PFENNIG
17 Quin has ego destroyed making antimalarial compound (9)
E 17 Quin has go destroyed making antimalarial compound (9)
(quin has go)* = QINGHAOSU
19 Lend round broken tray shaped like a harp? (7)
N 19 Led round broken tray shaped like a harp? (7)
led around (tray)* = LYRATED
20 Twit starting late fits out short terrace (8)
T 20 wit starting late fits out short terrace (8)
equips(fits out) – e + ter (terrace) = QUIPSTER
25 Vagans decomposed dimers making organic compounds (6)
R 25 Vagans decomposed dimes making organic compounds (6)
I (Vagans) + (dimes)* = IMIDES
26 Stir up old Arian endlessly with issues in odd places (6)
I 26 Stir up old Aran endlessly with issues in odd places (6)
ara(aran endlessly) + IsSuE = ARAISE
29 Told queen kiss is appropriate (5)
T 29 old queen kiss is appropriate (5)
Anne (old queen) + x (kiss) = ANNEX
31 Head January’s opening pilgrimage (4)
E 31 Had January’s opening pilgrimage (4)
had + j (January’s opening) = HADJ
34 Dispense with slough and jump on ice (4)
S 34 Dispense with lough and jump on ice (4)
axe(disperse) + l (lough) = AXEL
Twencelas, thanks for the great blog. I enjoyed the puzzle even though it was a bit educational, a bit worthy!
I think 22 A is Ensure, make safe. En/EN is Enrolled Nurse and Sure is ‘ay’, beside it.
PS Enrolled nurses started being phased out decades ago, but the term lives on in crosswords (and in the very small number of Enrolled Nurses who were in that role last century and have carried on).
Thanks Caran – have amended the blog