4073 Quartet by MynoT

Mynot gave us a difficult puzzle with a clever grid. A lot of cold solving had to be done before a word could be entered in the grid. Letters removed from clues, which were given without numbers, were entered in the periphery. A quotation from Confucius emerged – ‘The four ____ run their course and all things are produced.’ The missing word was SEASONS and the solver could highlight, diagonally from the corners inward, the four seasons, AUT[U]MN, SUMME[R], SP[R]ING and W[I]NTER with one letter removed. These removed letters completed the unchecked letters in the quotation.

Set 1
One that's after line dancing
CEILI CEIL (to line) + I (one)
Cooler food producing display of enthusiasm
FANFARE FAN (cooler) + FARE
Eagerly desired fish eats snake
GASPED ASP in GED
Rock singer's forgoing right to misbehave
GNEISS Anagram SINGER’S less R
Geese observed to return about midday
NEENS N (noon) in SEEN reversed
A professional by agency of another (two words)
PER PRO PER (A) + PRO
Behind residence hairy Esau's networks of lines
RESEAUS RES (residence) + Anagram ESAU
Sea squirts in demand outside settlement
SALPAE PA (settlement) in SALE
Hydroid's energy providing phosphorescence
SEA-FIRE SEA-FIR + E (energy)
Fish rises unusually
SEIRS Anagram RISES
Set 2
Oriental festival
EASTER 2 definitions
Stud I found in unfinished dish
ENTIRE I in ENTREE(e)
American playwright to serve superior loud soldier
KAUFMAN KA (serve) + U (superior) + F (loud) + MAN (ref. George S Kaufman?)
Knight runs playing hard balls
KNURS K + Anagram RUNS
Tree with white bark could make a home
MAHOE Anagram A HOME
Graduate embraces return of traditional medicine in second-hand clothes
MITUMBA MUTI reversed in MBA
Drum is useless on mother
NGOMA NG (no good) O(n) MA
Wipe off game contest (two words)
RUB OUT RU (rugby union) + BOUT
Hookers are found among senoras regularly
SNARERS ARE in SeNoRaS (odd letters)
Pony's function with weapon
TANGUN TAN(gent) + GUN
Set 3
Poet is in supplement
ADDISON IS in ADD-ON
Cell's self-contained down under?
ASCUS SC (self-contained) in AUS!
Woody gets woman back to house
BIRKEN (like birch) RIB reversed + KEN
To misrepresent girl's wrong
DISTORT DI’S + TORT
Proper race in actions for two parties in Rome
DUETTI DUE (proper) + TT (race) + I’ (in)
Carriers of hot almost strange pieces
HODMEN H (hot) + OD(D) + MEN (chess pieces)
In a high degree employed wet
SOUSED SO + USED
Consider force old-fashioned
STEEM 2 definitions
Lively dancer getting plug with a bit of music for piano
STOMPER
No longer offer for sale fruitcake with no name
UTTER (n)UTTER
 
Set 4
Hebrews' awful curse
BESHREW Anagram HEBREW’S
Make distasteful binge less good
ENGORE ENGORGE less G (good)
Bargees bringing back vegetable and vetch
KEELERS LEEK reversed + ERS
Service return upset Australian tennis player
RAFTER (ref. Patrick Rafter) RAF + RET reversed
Once again sets examination on hard shells
RETESTS RE (on) + TESTS
Agency's founder said Aussie dandy's at end almost
REUTER Homophone ROY + TER(m)
Lock old fool in special end of house
SASSE ASS in S (special) +(hous)E
Pinched scarf
Stole 2 definitions
Collection of groups employ trap
USENET USE + NET (trap)
Fancies old small partners
WEENS WEE + NS (bridge partners)