This
nice puzzle depended on entering JULIUS CAESAR at 26 and knowing that his
expressed wish was, “Let me have men about me that are fat.” The perimeter
contained the names of notoriously fat people, HENRY VII, FRIAR TUCK, HOMER
SIMPSON, MR GREEDY and OLIVER HARDY. The four unclued entries were all things
to eat, 44 BEEF-HAM, 17 MALT, 21 MEAT and 23 TUNA. Removing the letters of
these words, plus the extra Y in the perimeter, from the quotation allowed an explanation of why the fat people
were eligible. This had to be in the 30ac. PAST 15dn. TENSE and was THEY
OVERATE.
.
ACROSS
9 Hurry to arrive in the far north (7)
HIELAND HIE (hurry) + LAND
10 Mature student's third to move separating pillar (7)
TRUMEAU Anagram MATURE + (st)U(dent) 3rd letter
12 On way back father is wearing that item of clothing (7)
Y-FRONTS FR (father) in Yon + ST reversed
13 Obtained from apple juice? Claim otherwise (5)
MALIC Anagram CLAIM
14 Earl's cutting hedge back, indicating informal agreement (4)
YEAH E (earl) in HAY (all reversed)
15 Remember crossing choppy Red Sea (8, two
words)
THE DRINK Anagram RED in THINK
16 Horse is exhausted, we hear (3)
DUN Homophone DONE
18 Scots stun disheartened agent (4)
DOER DO(v)ER
20 Sticky and disgusting when head's chopped off (4)
LIMY (s)LIMY
22 Lag's back outside the entrance to Dartmoor (6)
RETARD T (the) in REAR + D(artmoor)
24 Unproductive attempt (3)
SHY 2 definitions
25 At Kinloss one short line of planes (4)
AERO AE + RO(w)
26 See preamble (12, two
words) JULIUS CAESAR
27 Murder over ninety - a small amount (4)
HINT N (ninety) in HIT
28 See off buffoon and kill Yankee (3)
ICE (v)ICE
29 Upset artist - name not in (6)
RATTLE RA (artist) + TITLE less I
30 See preamble (4) PAST
32 Drama about a Biblical character (4)
NOAH A in NOH
34 Talk of gold causes row (3)
OAR Homophone OR
35 Footballer turned hard worker? It could be bull (8)
ELEPHANT PELE (reversed) + H + ANT
39 Ebbing tide stopped by river god (4)
ARES R in SEA reversed
41 Vicar-apostolic to ask about mantle for priests (5)
VAKAS VA + Anagram ASK
42 Titters playing parts of fugue (7)
STRETTI Anagram TITTERS
43 Learned to avoid cable's fourth repeat (7)
ITERATE LITERATE less L
44 Conductor about to be replaced by female (7)
BEEF-HAM thematic BEECHAM with F for C
DOWN
1 Earth's hypothetical core? Not once entertaining uncertainty (4)
NIFE IF in NE
2 Broadcast again - transmitter's back in ditch (5)
RERAN R (last letter in TRANSMITTER) in REAN
3 Streaked reportedly with blades (5)
VANED Homophone VEINED
4 Insert provoking endless ructions (Ed) (9)
5 Station has no parking - that's an irritation (4)
ITCH PITCH less P (parking)
6 Bold brother ignores one rule (4)
FREE FRERE less R
7 Porcelain from Madeira mixed up (5)
IMARI Hidden reversed
8 Wet look's getting popular (5)
RAINY IN (popular) in RAY
11 Priest's best to deliver note (3)
ELI ELITE less TE (note)
15 See preamble (5) TENSE
17 Deep blue is missing (4)
MALT SMALT less S
19 Sign contract before food's brought in (9)
CHARACTER AC (ante cibum = before food) in CHARTER
21 Earth covered by frost (4)
MEAT E in MAT
23 One tough's picked up (4)
TUNA A NUT (reversed)
24 Squirt in Perth - he's insignificant (5)
SCOOT 2 definitions
25 Italian city endlessly excited (4)
ASTI ASTI(R)
30 One philosophical about being dropped from squad (5)
PLATO PLATOON less ON (about)
31 Argue God refrained from punishing in the past (5)
SPAR + D (god)
33 European gets hurt outside Muslim sacred place (5)
HAREM E in HARM
34 Men smashed hot plate (5)
ORTHO OR (men) + Anagram HOT
36 The old manage with difficulty likewise (3)
EKE 2 definitions
37 Essentially was short of stake (4)
ANTE (w)ANTE(d)
38 Stranger disheartened? In no degree (4)
NE’ER NE(W)ER
40 Militant separatists with section for menials (4)
ETA 2 definitions