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Puzzle explanation

One choice of first or last letters from the extra words in across clues spelt out The Emperor’s New Clothes. The others choices gave its author, Hans Christian Andersen. The second story featured was The Little Mermaid, in which a mermaid sacrifices her tongue so that she can emerge from the sea and become human. Accordingly, one answer in each column was entered upwards, then one of its letters moved to the top row to form LITTLE MERMAID. TONGUE, remaining at the bottom of the grid, was highlighted.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra word Answer Explanation
Across
1 handout BLUE TIT (U + B + TITLE) *
7 approach EDGAR RAGE < around D
12 emotion LAER REAL <
13 some NOUVELLE (UNLOVEABLE − AB) *
15 cream DEPICT DEPOT with EPIC for inner letters
16 path WRITER W + (t)RITER
17 rye REEDEN RE + EDEN
18 instructor GHOSTLIKE G + HOST + LIKE
22 ominous TANK (s)TANK
23 timber TRANSOM (marke)T + RANSOM
26 ingenious STICK ’EM UP (MUSIC KEPT) *
28 Arabian ERRATIC ERIC around RAT
30 nine GRID GRIMED − M(ic)E
32 allow ESOTERICA AUCTIONEERS * − (any occurrences of J, U, N, K)
36 cousin ATTEST ATT + EST
37 land CROMER CR around ROME
41 one CLEAVE (arti)CLE A VE(rsion)
42 Resist ELEANORE ERE around (LEAN + O)
43 Spanish AURA A + (m)URA(l)
44 e-bike REWTH THREW with letters cycled
45 nobs TONGUED (TEN + U + DOG) *
Down
1   BLOW 2 meanings
2   RIAL RIVAL − V
3   STORE S + TORE
4   TIDE T(r)I(e)D (n)E(w)
5   IMPOT IMPORT − R
6   QUIRK QUARK with I for A
8   UNMETED UNMET + E + D
9   GLADES (D(eckin)G + SEAL) *
10   ALLEGORIC ALL + EGO + I in RC
11   DEMANDER DEAN around M + DER
14   LION homophone of LIE + ON
19   HAIRSTYLE homophone of (HARE + STILE)
20   TILT (s)TILT(s)
21   LOCI (I + COL) <
22   RED ALERT RED + ALE + R(ows) T(riggering)
24   TEER (s)TEER(s)
25   AMIE AMIENS − (te)N (say)S
27   TAME CAT (s)TAME(n) + CAT
29   WETTER WHETTER − H
31   AMIR (MERMAID − surrounding MED) *
33   POETS E in POTS
34   OP ART O + PART
35   ROLAG GALOR(e) <
38   NE’ER NÉE + R
39   ERIE (B)ER(l)I(n)E(rs); letters in positions 2, 3, 5, 7
40   ROAD homophone of ROWED
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