Artistic Licence by Serpent

Puzzle explanation

The extra words and letters in clues spelt out “His locale was Celtic and his season spring” and “United States v. One Book Called …”. The former was a statement by Judge John M. Woolsey in the latter case in 1933, ruling that Ulysses by James Joyce was not obscene.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra letter/word Answer Explanation
Across
1 s(H)am SAMPLE PLE(a) after SAM
6 marr(I)ed CRITIC CIRCUIT * − homophone of YOU
10 lo(S)ses OVERT (c)OVERT
11 (L)overs HOVE TO HO + VET + O
12 (O)pinions ROUTINE ROUTE around IN
13 a(C)t PRATT (R(ead) + AT) in PT
15 (A)void ESTRO MAESTRO − M(ultimedi)A
17 S(L)ide OBVERSE VERBOSE *
21 c(E)ases MAINE MEN * around (p)AI(n)
22 (W)as TSARINA (IRAN AS) * after (conflic)T
23 p(A)ins OBSCENE (ONE around CE) around (B + S)
25 New(S) NOVEL 2 meanings
27 (C)loser SLOBBER LOSER * around BB
28 Hym(E)n PSALM S in PAL + M
30 b(L)inding RAZOR ZO in RAR(e)
34 (T)ill RECEIPT ((l)E(f)T + PRICE) *
35 mov(I)e TRAVEL (plo)T + RAVEL
36 (C)oral FLORA (ORAL + (ree)F) *
37 (A)base SENATE N in SEAT + E
38 me(N) SEEMED SEED around ME
Down
1 pow(D)er SOAP (P + O + AS) *
2 (H)ave AVER AVE + R(ogue)
3 (I)mage MEGA MAGE *
4 re(S)t PRETENCE PENCE around RET
5 I(S) EGOIST EGO + I + (boa)ST(ful)
6 envelop(E)s CHUSE (Dit)CH USE(less)
7 Sp(A)in’s ROTE ROTATE − TA
8 brighten(S) TENTH (brigh)TEN TH(e)
9 (O)pens CORONAL (C + ORAL) around ON
14 rese(N)t TREES RESET *
16 (S)ettle RANEE RAN + E(ttl)E
18 (P)raising BABAS ABBA’S with B moved up
19 consume(R)s MANOR NO in MAR
20 bas(I)s PROBABLE PRO + BABBLE − B
21 k(N)eeling MOPPETS STEM < around POP *
24 run(G)s ELOPES SEE < around LOP
26 (UNITED) PAEAN PA + (t)EA(m) + N
27 (STATES) SMILE MILES with letters cycled
29 (V)indicated MEET M(onarchy) (c)E(lebrating) (th)E(ir) (nup)T(ials)
31 (ONE) ZOOM (M + O’ + OZ) <
32 (BOOK) OGRE GO < + RE
33 (CALLED) READ homophone of RED
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