Mortality by ’Eck

Puzzle explanation

The letter groups shifted in clues formed “Sir Percy Blakeney”, the real name of the Scarlet Pimpernel, who helped French aristocrats escape the guillotine, in the novel The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy. In the grid, six French names, clued by wordplay only, were “beheaded” and three “escaped” (1ac Jean, 6ac Luc, 21dn Agnès). The corrections to misprints spelt out “enter nom de guerre in apt hue”, meaning red (letters or shading) was required for PIMPERNEL in the centre of the grid.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Misprint/ moved letters/ extra words Answer Explanation
Across
1   SEJEANT SERJEANT − R
6   RELUCT TRUCE * around L
10 tre(E)s KNURLY DRUNKENLY * − END *
11 assigned [1ac SET] OBECHE (Ni)OBE CHE(rub)
14 bri(N)e BOMBORA BORA BORA with M for first RA
15 s(T)aggering REELING EEL in RING
17 Pe(E)bles SNIRT TRINS <
18 I(R)eland ERSE (r)E(g)R(e)S(s)E(s)
19 La(N)d NESSES (0×W, 1×N, 2×E, 3×S) *
21 (EN)tire → Sim(EN)on’s MAIGRET (TIRE MAG) *
23 pl(O)nk MERLOT MERL + TO <
28   GASTON TON after GAS
29 (M)utts LAPDOGS LAPD + O + G + S
31 streetwalker [8dn HARLOT] ALSACE LSA in ACE
34 Farrow, maybe [21dn MIA] DARI RAD < + I’
37   ÉMILE E after EM(a)IL
39 ba(D)gers TELEDUS LED US after (s)T(e)E(d)
40 thr(E)at ICEBERG REBEC < in (I + G)
41 a billion years [7dn EON] INHALE ALIEN * around H
42 Pa(PER) → ja(PER)y SATIRE SIRE around AT
43 (G)arnish ATTRAP (PART + TA) <
44 B(AK)eware → sh(AK)y MIND OUT M + IN DOUBT − B
Down
1 trees [3dn ULES] SKYRE SKYE around R
2 g(U)t ENTERA ENTER + A
3   JULES JOULES − O
4   ALAIN A(mazon) in (A + LIN)
5 Lumb(E)r TROG ((dressin)G OR T(ourniquet)) <
6 (R)evels ROMPS RUMPS with O for U
7   LEON NOEL <
8   CHARLOT L in CHARIOT − I
9 abode [4dn LAIN] TESTATES SET < around STATE
12 b(R)eed CRIOLLO RIO in (C + L(iable) L(etting) O(dd))
13 r(E)nt ELEGIT (Zoophil)E + LEGIT
16 tatt(I)e NEEP NÉE + (gossi)P
17 (N)oted SEEN S(enat)E E(lectio)N
20 sl(A)b’s STELA LEAST *
21   MAGNESIA (MANAGES + I) *; ref. atomic no. of manganese (25)
22 race [37ac MILE] IPSWICH CHIP with letters cycled around (S + WI)
24 (BL)under → (BL)usher REDDER ER after REDD
25 (SIR)en → de(SIR)ed CATMINT CAT + N in MIT
26 s(P)y MOLE MO + LE
27 Cut(EY) → phon(EY)ed RACE (CAMPER − MP) *
30 (T)ree GRU-GRU (URGE − E) < twice
32 Nan(CY) → flee(CY) SHEEP (ASHEN PEN) * − NAN *
33 T(H)rone’s ELSAN S in ÉLAN
35 yo(U) ADDIO ADO around DI
36 ward in Midlands [28ac ASTON] ISLET IS LET
38 Get exposed to damp [6ac RET] LEAR LEAP YEAR − (A + PYE)
39 Sl(E)nder TRIM TIM around R
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