Annotated solutions for Genius 231

All across solutions contain within them a word that is a measure of length. These 12 words have been swapped around in the grid entries so that they appear in the grid, reading from top to bottom and left to right, in order from the longest to the shortest: MILE, VERST, CHAIN, ROPE, ROD, METRE, YARD, FOOT, LINK. PALM, INCH and MIL

The resulting entries are not real words. Definitions and letter counts in these clues lead to the original ‘unswapped’ solutions, while their wordplay indicates the amended grid entries.

All down clues and solutions are normal.

Across

7 Gulliver’s Travels: (verst to mile) GU<MILL(rev)>ILE/RAVEL’S

9 Palma: (palm to verst) recoverVER STaying (hidden)

10 lime tree: (metre to chain) LI<CHA/IN>E

11 yard sale: (yard to rope) RO<APES(anag)>LE

12 ice foot: (foot to rod) I (current) + C<ER>OD

13 clink: (link to metre) C(onservative)/MET/RE

15 unchain: (chain to yard) UN + DRAY (rev)

18 simile: (mile to foot) IS (rev) + FOOT

20 inchases: (inch to link) INK in SEALS (anag)

23 prodrug: (rod to palm) LAPP (rev) + M<R(ight)UG

24 Tamil: (mil to inch) T<A>IN/CH(urch)

25 personal property: (rope to mil) LAME PORN TRY SLIP (anag)

Down

1 tuxedo TU<X>E(sday) + DO

2 glass eye G(erman)/LASS + I (hom)

3 impala IMPAL(e)/A(rea)

4 fraction FR(ench)/ACTION

5 aviate A<VIA>TE

6 blancoed B(lack) + COAL END (anag)

8 lilies I LIE in L(adie)S

13 chippies C(old)/HIP/PIES

14 retiring R(oyal)E(ngineers) + TIRING

16 Amarillo A(merican)/MAR/I’LL/O(ld)

17 flugel FLU + EG(rev) + /L(arge)

19 owlish O + W<L(eft)>ISH

21 no time NOT I + ME

22exciteEX + CITE