February 2025 Defeat by Chalicea

 Defeat by Chalicea

The wordplay in every clue leads to an extra letter in addition to those needed for the answer. These, in clue order, give a shortened version of the lines that follow those that appear around the perimeter, sung by 7d, about 28, and 11d, who had to 18 after his DEFEAT. PDF copy

Across

9 Destructive ulceration relating to wanderers (4)

10 Intermittently loitered in shelter (3)

12 Men with computerized engineering creating monster (4)

14 Mistreated Aussie fool victimised (7)

15 Revolutionary harm of Muslim lord (5)

16 Remote oasis is removed for West African trees (6)

17 Dithering ringleader, age roughly ignored, pinched with cold in         Holyrood (6)

19 Insist upon exceptional stayers (6)

24 Son principally enjoys every small heady pinch of snuff in Dundee (6)

25 Flightless bird - one runs for an independent ruler (4)

26 The German distinctive doctrine; rational belief in the existence of a supreme being (5)

30 Most enraged artist we dealt with (7)

31 Hesitate in Perth to rip apart line of houses (6)

Down

1 Staff of Indian officials upset Scotland's whole modus operandi (5)

2 For Robert the Bruce, say, defeat unco braw louts essentially (4)

3 Portable means of defecation of distressed aliens (5)

4 Wooden structures for cattle's winter accommodation on Skye (4)

5 Half drawn-out papier-mâché for stereotyping (5)

6 Ape is endlessly timid and lacking daring for a start (6)

8 Relating to section between bird's eye and bill, expressed in speech (4)

13 Heels in church lead to grovel some say (6)

20 Scotland's misty rain, more, according to Scots, in southern region (5)

21 Esperanto introduces mythological figure (5)

22 Abjure long ago mishandled nerdy energy (5)

23 Uptight backward gest about enrolled nurse (5)

24 Lecture on board ship for dissenting bodies (5)

27 In Edinburgh crumble Will's wall length (4)

29 Regular skincare for Prestwick's thieving flier (3)

To enter this competition, send your entry as an image or in list format,  to ccpuzzles@talktalk.net before 8^th March 2025. The first correct entry drawn from the hat will receive a book from the Chambers range, which has been donated by Chambers