Hide-and-Seek by Charybdis

Puzzle explanation

Letters “hidden” from the clues spelt “Twain, Bacon, Wyatt”. Proverbs initially hidden in the grid were “Truth is stranger than fiction”, used by Mark Twain in Following the Equator, and “Truth is the daughter of time”, referred to by Francis Bacon in Novum Organum. Removing the first and last letters, the second proverb became “Ruth is the daughter of Tim” (giving the names of two imaginary hiders). The first was then altered to Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard, the title of Robert Wyatt’s third solo album, from 1975. Josephine Tey wrote The Daughter of Time, a detective novel about the reputation of Richard III, whose remains were discovered in September 2012, “hiding” under a Leicester car park.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Hidden letter Answer Explanation
Across
1 (T)hat SHEEN SHE + EN
7   RENEGER RENÉ + GERMANY − MANY
13 (W)oman MALEIC MALE + IC(e)
14 Sp(A)in ESTERASE E + ST + ERASE
16   ENDOCARP END + OP around RAC <
17   ARKITE (M)ARK ITE(m)
18   LEMMATA MEL < + STIGMATA − STIG
20 S(I)enna TANS TRANSPORT − R − PORT
22   FRISÉE FRISBEE − B
24   THEISTS T(wo) + HEISTS
26 tau(N)t DARES D(efence) + ARES
30   SA SA SALSA − L
34   ARUM MURA(l) <
36   ALI G GILA <
37   REED ORGAN (RED + ORANGE) *
39 (B)all SCENERY SCRY around ENE
40   ENERGISES ER in ENGINES with S for N
41   SOLID OS < + LID
Down
1 (A)Roma SMELT 2 meanings
2   HANGAR NG in HAAR
3 (C)hilly ELDIN ’ELD IN
4 G(O)od NICE 2 meanings
5   SCAMPI (C + AMP) in SI
6 Ski(N) DERMIS RIDES * around M(ountain)
8   ÉTAT TATE <
9   ERKS PERKS − P
10   GAITS GATS around I
11   ESTHETE (etch)ES THE TE(al’s)
12   REEVES R(op)E + EVES
15   SPARTAN SPART + A(vo)N
19   AREG (Refri)GERA(tor) <
21 (W)heat SHEAFING SHE + A + FIN + G
23 Tr(Y)ing TESTATE TEST + ETA <
25   STRIGIL (GIRLS + IT) *
26   DAHLS L in SHAD(e) <
27   SHIRE SH + I + RE
28 g(A)in DICERS D + OFFICERS − OFF
29   HAN HAN(d)
31   SAICE SACRIFICE − (CR + IF)
32 stun(T)s DIDOS DO in DIS
33   POOFS SPOOF with letters cycled
35   MINED DENIM <
38 Ma(T)e AMI AM I?; ref. “I think therefore I am”
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