In this variety cryptic, each pair of Across clues (1A & 3A, 7A & 8A, etc.) requires a “heart transplant” before being solved. Down clues can be solved as normal cryptic clues (though you may notice a theme—and some NSFW clues, you have been warned). Title clue is just extra credit.
Heart Transplants In each pair of Across clues, a term of endearment hidden in one clue must be removed, and inserted somewhere in the other clue. The resulting two clues can then be solved. So we have: 1A: en[-dear]s & 3A: Si[+dear]ms 7A: f[-lamb]eed & 8A: c[+lamb]ake 9A: R[+hon]E & 11A: p[-hon]ies 14A: P[-love]R & 16A: be{+love]d 20A: car[+pet] & 21A: outcom[-pet]e 22A: ch[+angel]ess & 23A: t[-angel]o
ACROSS 1A: elderly: GRA[-nn]Y (“putting out ens”) 3A: Sidearms, maybe: homophone “vocal” of /THROES/ (“spasms”) 7A: Food Network host: put inside (“feed”) IA (“both sides of India”) N (“gnu’s heart”) 8A: it can be used in a clambake: L + [-m]OBSTER “takes out” [m] (“a bit of milk”) 9A: Rhone location: acrostic of the last letters of (“@ the stern”) oF ouR seA captaiN cC: smeE 11A: Some pies have this: homophone (“way of singing”) /MEET/ 14A: harvest: PR in reverse around EA 16A: Bold: DAR[-l]ING (“beloved”) minus [l] (“piece of laundry”) 20A: Scared: KIN (“family”) in SHAG (“carpet”) 21A: Outcome: hidden in teEN Division 22A: changeless: anagram (“playing”) of STAYED 23A: Small: [-w]ITTY (“brilliant”) minus the first letter (“to cut off the tip”)\
DOWN 1D: Agony: GF “embraces” [-a]RIE[-s] (“naked”) 2D: position: Reverse (“raise”) AS[-s] (“bottomless”) in AN A 4D: eyes: anagram (“reconsidering”) HUSB[-and] (“and getting lost”) 5D: bulging body part: O[bsess] + [-c]UTIE (“spends a hundred”) 6D: parade: All but the last letter of (“nearly finishing”) TRUT[-h] (“reality”) follows (“shows after”) S (“end of Valentine’s”) 8D: tongue: pubLIC Kissing 10D: Caviar: homophone of “the beginning of” /RO/mance 12D: a girl: every third letter in vAleNtiNes 13D: to make love, crudely: Anagram (“dancing”) of BEGAN removing (“taking”) E 14D: a V-Day gift: anagram of EROS* (“shot”) + [arrow]S (“at the butt”) 15D: saying we all know: AD (i.e. Anno Domini: “Traditionally, after the first Christmas”) + AGE (“time”) 17D: That is: IDES (“the day before Valentine’s Day, maybe”) + “start to” T[alk] 18D: Silly: G[-u]Y (“dumped you”) taking I (“one”) DD (double “date”) 19D: Spicy alternative: MIL[-l] (“with ass out”) + a little D[ance]
In each pair of Across clues, a term of endearment hidden in one clue must be removed, and inserted somewhere in the other clue. The resulting two clues can then be solved. So we have:
1A: en[-dear]s & 3A: Si[+dear]ms
7A: f[-lamb]eed & 8A: c[+lamb]ake
9A: R[+hon]E & 11A: p[-hon]ies
14A: P[-love]R & 16A: be{+love]d
20A: car[+pet] & 21A: outcom[-pet]e
22A: ch[+angel]ess & 23A: t[-angel]o
1A: elderly: GRA[-nn]Y (“putting out ens”)
3A: Sidearms, maybe: homophone “vocal” of /THROES/ (“spasms”)
7A: Food Network host: put inside (“feed”) IA (“both sides of India”) N (“gnu’s heart”)
8A: it can be used in a clambake: L + [-m]OBSTER “takes out” [m] (“a bit of milk”)
9A: Rhone location: acrostic of the last letters of (“@ the stern”) oF ouR seA captaiN cC: smeE
11A: Some pies have this: homophone (“way of singing”) /MEET/
14A: harvest: PR in reverse around EA
16A: Bold: DAR[-l]ING (“beloved”) minus [l] (“piece of laundry”)
20A: Scared: KIN (“family”) in SHAG (“carpet”)
21A: Outcome: hidden in teEN Division
22A: changeless: anagram (“playing”) of STAYED
23A: Small: [-w]ITTY (“brilliant”) minus the first letter (“to cut off the tip”)\
1D: Agony: GF “embraces” [-a]RIE[-s] (“naked”)
2D: position: Reverse (“raise”) AS[-s] (“bottomless”) in AN A
4D: eyes: anagram (“reconsidering”) HUSB[-and] (“and getting lost”)
5D: bulging body part: O[bsess] + [-c]UTIE (“spends a hundred”)
6D: parade: All but the last letter of (“nearly finishing”) TRUT[-h] (“reality”) follows (“shows after”) S (“end of Valentine’s”)
8D: tongue: pubLIC Kissing
10D: Caviar: homophone of “the beginning of” /RO/mance
12D: a girl: every third letter in vAleNtiNes
13D: to make love, crudely: Anagram (“dancing”) of BEGAN removing (“taking”) E
14D: a V-Day gift: anagram of EROS* (“shot”) + [arrow]S (“at the butt”)
15D: saying we all know: AD (i.e. Anno Domini: “Traditionally, after the first Christmas”) + AGE (“time”)
17D: That is: IDES (“the day before Valentine’s Day, maybe”) + “start to” T[alk]
18D: Silly: G[-u]Y (“dumped you”) taking I (“one”) DD (double “date”)
19D: Spicy alternative: MIL[-l] (“with ass out”) + a little D[ance]