D2 by Eclogue

Puzzle explanation

The unclued entries were the names of planets in our solar system, and ART in the barred-off central cell formed EARTH. The extra letters in wordplay spelt out “replace all planets with the name of one of their satellites”, and new words in the grid were formed by the following substitutions: URANUS → OBERON, JUPITER → HIMALIA, NEPTUNE → LARISSA, SATURN → TETHYS, EARTH → MOON. In the central cell, ART → OO combined with the puzzle’s title to give R2D2, the name of a droid in Star Wars.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra letter Answer Explanation
Across
10 P(R)ay KABUKI BU(y) in KAKI
12 stag(E) ANIMAL ANI + MAL(e)
14 To(P) TAMANU AT < + MAN + U
15 ki(L)n KISAN (S + A + KIN) *
16 He(A)r SHEBEEN SHE + BEE + N
17 tru(C)e ERNEST homophone of EARNEST
18 unit(E) JELL J + ELL
19 rot(A)ting BATTLE TABLET *
23 (L)and UNSEELS (’N’ + SEE + L) in US
25 Co(L)in SEASON AS in ONE’S *
26 car(P) MOIST MOT around IS
27 Go(L)d ASSET AS + SET
29 (A)gents BOGLES BOG-LES(s)
31 do(N) POTASSA (ASS + A + TOP) <
33 (E)lapsed PLEADS LAPSED *
35 hear(T) LIDE homophone of LIED
37 (S)it VISORS VISITORS − IT
38 (W)est TSETSES (EST SETS) *
41 fa(I)r ANTON AN + TO + (Ibse)N
42 ca(T)ches IPECAC (p)IPE CAC(hes)
43 (H)and GARDEN (GER(man) + AND) *
44 lo(T) AVALON A + LO in VAN
Down
1 c(H)ap UKES S after (j)UKE
2 m(E)an RATHE RAT + HE
3 Fin(N)ish NUMBLES NUMB + LES(s)
4 (A)base SINE SIN + E
5 (M)an JAUNTS (AN JUST) *
6 tel(E) UNLET (TEL + NU) <
7 Mo(O)ney IMINE (M after I) + IN + E
8 stra(F)es TASERS STRAES *
9 pl(O)y RUNT RUN + T
11 take(N) BAELS BARRELS − R − R
13 on(E) LASSOES LASSES around O’
18 burr(O) JUMBO J + UMBO
19 le(F)t BETEL LET < after BE
20 S(T)eal ALES SEAL *
21 (H)alts LEATS (E + ALTS) *
22 ton(E) ANTAE A + N + T + À + E
24 Natt(I)er NOOSING (GO ON) < around SIN
25 Hi(R)st SHOD SH + OD
28 act(S) SALTCAT SALT + ACT *
30 (A)void GAS TAP GAP around STA
31 bas(T)e PATINE INAPT * + E
32 crus(E)t SISAL IS < + SAL
33 un(L)it POORT TROOP <
34 (L)east ESSEN E(ast) S(ide) S(its) E(ntirely) N(aturally)
36 hom(I)er DECOR DE + COR
37 (T)own VAIN V + AIN
39 (E)pic SPAS SAS around P(ic)
40 star(S) SUNN N in SUN
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