First and Second by Ifor

Puzzle explanation

The extra letters in down clues spelt out “Minister of Fuel and Power”, a UK government post last held by Philip Noel-Baker, who is the only person to have won both a Nobel prize and an Olympic medal. He won a silver medal in the 1,500 metres run at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp; other people who won silver in athletics at the same games included Joseph GUILLEMOT (10,000 metres) and Charley PADDOCK (200 metres). Noel-Baker won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1959 (in Oslo), while other Nobel Prizes were awarded that year (in Stockholm) to Owen CHAMBERLAIN (physics, with Emilio Segrè) and Salvatore QUASIMODO (literature). Entries including the hyphen between NOEL and BAKER in the grid or without it were both accepted.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra letter Answer Explanation
Across
1   QUASIMODO QUASI + MOOD *
8   HYENAS HAS around YEN
12   UNDO (profo)UND O(ratory)
13   NOCUOUSLY (U + COLONY) * around US
16   CHAMBERLAIN (R(oug)H + IMBALANCE) *
17   TIE RODS EDITORS *
20   ERSE ER(a)SE
21   RESTAURANT (RAN + T) after (RES + TAU)
26   DEVANAGARI (ADRIAN GAVE) *
28   REDO ORDE(r) *
31   PADDOCK (K(nee-high) + C + ODD + AP) <
33   MEMENTO MORI MEMOIR * around MENTO
34   GUILLEMOT GULL around I + TOME <
35   NEON (hotli)NE ON(ly)
36   SANDAL 2 meanings
37   ANOESTRUM (ENORMOUS + AT − O) *
Down
2 ar(M)rests UNCI ((synthet)IC NU(buck)) <
3 marr(I)ed ADHESIVE (SIDE HAVE) *
4 s(N)orer SORREL (L + SORER) *
5 stor(I)es INCOMING INCOG around NIM <
6 manioc(S) OCAS (MANIOC AS) − MAIN *
7 a(T) DUMAS (D + A + MUS) *
8 h(E)ard HUES H + USE with last letter moved up
9 bu(R)ying ELLS SELL with first letter moved to the end
10 c(O)aches AZIONE A + ZONE around I
11 Or(F)es SUNSTROKE (ORES STUNK) *
14 brie(F) OBITER (TO(o) + BRIE) *
15 sho(U)t STEPDAMES (MADE PESTS) *
18 bes(E)t SUBEDITS ((n)UDIS(t) + BEST) *
19 (L)over’s TAKEOVER KATE * + OVER
22 (A)long ENGAOL (LONG + EA) *
24 a(N)d HEDERA (HERE AD) *
25 (D)riving ARDENT DEN in ART
27 chi(P) AXMEN MEAN * around X
29 ar(O)se FEUD FUD around (Glenco)E
30 (W)in IT’LL I(n) T(hough) L(ess) L(ikely)
31 Rom(E)o PO-MO ROMO after P − R
32 Pe(R)t CHOU CH + (f)O(r) (f)U(n)
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