Huge Ruin (Remote) by Gos

Puzzle explanation

The theme was the writer Edgar Allan Poe, whose name was spelt out by the correct letters of the misprinted definitions in normal order of the first 13 clued grid entries: Bas(e), Foo(d), Brid(g)e’s, h(a)ir’s, Fu(r), Cro(a)ked, Ti(l), Har(l)em, R(a)cket, colo(n), Sho(p), M(o)w, lumb(e)r. Film versions of three of Poe’s stories were featured in the puzzle. In the initial completed grid the unclued entry at 1ac, House of Usher, had to be moved down to 37ac to reflect its “fall” in the story, and 37ac Tomb of Ligeia moved in the opposite direction (reflecting the disinterment in that story). The puzzle title was an anagram derived from Murders in the Rue Morgue, the third featured work, and also hinted obliquely at the destruction of the House of Usher. Note that the film titles are not identical to the titles in the original works. There is also some variation in the titles used in these dramatisations, and between US and UK distribution titles; these do not compromise the thematic content as implemented here.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Misprint Answer Explanation
CLUES (in original alphabetical order of answers)
12dn   ACNE CANE, with (pand)A earlier
9ac Bas(e) ALKALI Hidden
17ac Ti(l) BENNE BENNET – (bucke)T
26ac colo(n) CECUM Homophone (SEEK ’EM)
13ac Brid(g)e’s CLAPPER Two definitions
13dn   CLIO C + OIL <
26dn   CRUST Two definitions; reference “loaf” as in “head”
28ac Sho(p) DELI DELI(cacy)
8dn   ENRANGE Hidden
19ac Har(l)em ESTROGEN (ONE GETS + R)*
5dn   FEATHER THE in FEAR
21dn   GIPSY First letters + Y
1dn   HARRIED Homophone (HARRY ’D)
16ac Cro(a)ked ICED DICE, D to end; reference N Am slang
10dn   KINETIC KIN + CITE <
29dn   LATHI Hidden in MALATHION®
22dn   LEIPOA Homophone (LIE) + POA
31dn   LOTO TOOL*
11ac Foo(d) MANNA ANNAM <; see Collins English Dictionary
36ac   NATASHA (HAS* + A) after TAN <
18dn   NOVELISE (SEE + LOVIN(g))*
4dn   OILED (b)OILED; reference “drunk”
2dn   OLEIC First letters
33dn   PEAG PE + AG
15ac Fu(r) PEAN Every third letter
34ac   PEEOY PEE(l) + O(bviousl)Y
30ac M(o)w REAP First letters
14ac h(a)ir’s RINGLET LET after RING
25dn   RUIN I in RUN
3dn   SANG Three definitions
7dn   SAPPED (PAS after DEP) <
27dn   SHEAL SHELL, L replaced by A
32ac lumb(e)r SHIPLAP SHIP + LAP
20dn   STEEP-TO STEEP + TOG – G
35ac   STURT TRUST*
23dn   SUPERB SUP – P + PER + B
24ac “R(a)cket” TIRRIVEE TIRE about RIVE
6dn   UMPS M in UPS
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