Solution to Confusion Down Under by Flowerman

 Confusion Down Under by Flowerman - SOLUTION

Two names, ARTHUR and MARTHA, can be formed from the possible sequences of letters in the six contiguous clashing cells suggesting that the confusion might be about gender. The expression “to not know whether one is Arthur or Martha” meaning to be in a state of confusion, not necessarily about gender, is an expression apparently originating in Australian and New Zealand (hence the title). Sequences of letters removed from clues can be arranged to form ALLOSOMES IN GRID. This confirms that the confusion is about gender as allosomes are sex chromosomes, identified as X and Y in humans, with females described as XX (cells containing two X chromosomes) and males described as XY (cells containing one of each). A single X was present in the initial grid fill rather than a pair of allosomes, meaning that the misprint must have involved either an X or Y being changed to another letter. ENACTED can be changed to EXACTED whereas no words can be changed to a new one in Chambers with a Y. Having identified the grid as female, clashes were to be resolved to show MARTHA.

Clue Explanations

Letters removed from wordplay are given after clue numbers where relevant.

 

Across

1 EMPLACE (t)EMPL(e) ACE

6 DISC DIS(a) C

10 COCOBOLO BOL in COCOO(n)

11 CHAS CHA(let)S

12 LASCARS LA CRASS*

14 WANT W (A N(eeding) T(raining))

15 LAAGER REGAL< around A

16 TIU (q)UIT<

17 MONTU MON TU

18 MANET MAN ET

20 AT SEA (c)ATS EA

22 crack[ING] AGAPE (tw)AE around GAP

24 RUNIC RUN I C 

29 RIMER (p)RIMER

31 LAM LAM(e)

32 BATAAN BATAVIAN – (V I)

33 li[MES] AMOS SOMA(li)<

34 ELOCUTE E COL< (m)UTE

35 GUAN GUN around A

36 EBENEZER BREEZE* around E(aster)N

37 SINS SIN(bad)’S 

38 USER IDS US EDI(to)RS*

Down

1 ECLATS EATS around (C L)

2 mang[O SO]on MOANING I in (MANG ON)*

3 LOCUM LOLIUM with C replacing LI

4 ABALONE AB ALONE

5 CORONET (TENOR OC)<

6 DONAH HAD< around ON

7 SHAGS SHA(m) GS

8 CANEH (kitc)HEN A C(opper)<

9 b[RID]e OSTREA (O ARE (be)ST)*

13 SCUM SC UM(ps)

14 WRIT WIT(h) around R

19 HUMBLES HUM (SE< after BL)

20 ANEMONE (ph)ENOMENA<

21 b[ALL]et ENACTED ((b)ET DANCE)*

22 AMBAGE A (MAGE around B)

23 POMS POM(e)S

25 CLOU CLO(d) U

26 UMBERS (c)UMBERS

27 RAMUS (manage)R (M in AUS)

28 STOAI SAI around TO

29 A-AXES XE in AAS

30 RICER RIC(h)ER