Language Balancing by Schadenfreude
Puzzle explanation
Letters added to empty cells spell MALTESE CROSS, reading clockwise. Items removed from clues give its definition from The Chambers Dictionary, “mechanism providing intermittent frame-by-frame movement in a motion picture film projector”. Deletions from clues are shown in the table below.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No |
Deletion |
Answer |
Explanation |
| ACROSS |
| 1 | (me) | ALDIS LAMP | (LAM + P) after DIAL’S * |
| 7 | (C)live | EBRO | BE < + R + O |
| 10 | s(h)un | SHAMERS | SH + AMER + S |
| 12 | go(a)d | ANUBIS | (NUB + IS) after A |
| 13 | sho(n)e | DAUTIE | D + AU + TIE |
| 14 | (is) | NYNORSK | N + Y + N + OR + S(lic)K |
| 16 | (m)asters | STRESS | S + ASTERS * – A |
| 18 | (p)rays | SPINES | P in SINE + ’S |
| 19 | sho(r)t | SHOOTIST | (HOOT + IS) in ST |
| 22 | B(o)unty | COMIC | (I + C) after COM. |
| 25 | sla(v)e | SALEM | SLAE * + M |
| 29 | wa(i)ter | SEACOAST | EA in (A SCOT’S) * |
| 31 | (D)evils | CURSES | CURS + E + S |
| 35 | (in) | OFFPUT | O + FF + PUT |
| 36 | sun(g) | ISAGOGE | S after I + AGOGE |
| 37 | (in) | OFFIES | OF + FIE + S |
| 38 | (term) | ODIOUS | OD + I + OU’S |
| 39 | (It) | MALATES | MAL + ATE + (fearles)S |
| 40 | (tent) | HIDE | Two definitions |
| 41 | (frame) | SINLESSLY | (LENS + IS) * + SLY |
| DOWN |
| 1 | (b)an | ASANAS | A + S + AN + AS |
| 2 | hill(y) | DAUNT | A in DUN + T |
| 3 | i(f) | IMBOSOM | I + M + BOOMS * |
| 4 | rule(r) | SIRS | IS < + R + (hi)S |
| 5 | Morm(a)’s | ARKS | M from MARK’S |
| 6 | (me) | PATINA | PAT + IN + A |
| 7 | (move) | ENURNS | NURSE * about N |
| 8 | (men) | BETEEM | BE + MEET < |
| 9 | (tin) | ODESSA | DOES * + S(c)A(n) |
| 11 | se(a)ts | LISLES | L + ISLES [verb] |
| 15 | Sa(m) | SAICS | (SA + IS) about C |
| 17 | so(o)n | HOWFFS | (W + F) in HOF + S |
| 20 | learn(t) | SEE | SEED – D |
| 21 | sav(i)ours | TSARS | T(hank) + SARS |
| 23 | r(o)ad | CUFFED | CU + F + DEF <; rad = excellent = def |
| 24 | (n)umbered | ISSUES | (MISSES – M) about U(mbered) |
| 26 | (picture) | LOGGIAS | (I in (G + AS)) after LOG |
| 27 | of(f) | SCOOSH | O’ in (S + COSH) |
| 28 | Pl(i)ant | ORPINE | OR + PINE |
| 30 | s(l)eek | TRESSY | ESS in TRY |
| 32 | (m)ace | SIAN | SIN [seven deadly] about A |
| 33 | (project) | CADE | Hidden reversed |
| 34 | (or) | ROOTS | STOOR < |
| 