Creative Pictures Studios

The cryptic clues have been edited into incoherence. For each grid entry, the definition part of its clue is exactly where it’s supposed to be, but the wordplay part of its clue appears somewhere else. Solvers must re-edit the clues to match up the definitions with their corresponding wordplay. (Surface sense is not maintained during this process.)

ACROSS
1   SHACK (S + hack) — shoddy housing & small prank at MIT
6   DOC (“dock”) — dwarf & harbor, reportedly
8   BELIEF (Feb + lie) — firmly held conviction & around February, admits falsehood
12   NHRA (ranch – C) — they sanction drag races & disorganized ranch loses third-rate
13   SHUT-IN (hunt is) — confined person & erratic Hunt is
15   OAK (soak – s) — type of wood & eliminate opening from steep
16   ELOI (violet – v,t) — futuristic race & Violet removing skirt the wrong way
17   EDGED (hedged – h) — sharp & equivocated after the first
19   VASE (Eva’s) — bouquet holder & rewrite Eva’s
20   PRAWN (r + pawn) — shellfish & youngster finally interrupting Patsy
21   FUND (plaintifF UNDerstands) — financially back & some plaintiff understands
22   MELMAC (camel + m) — alien homeworld & quivering camel behind minute
25   DEADFALL (all faded) — trap & unravel all faded
26   DNR (DoNoR’s) — instructions for a doctor & alternate characters in donor’s
28   LURID (ride – e + L + U) — gruesome & ride almost begins with large hairpin turn
30   WAVY (v + way) — undulating & easternmost part of Kiev seen in fashion
31   LACK (black – B) — need & top hat color other than blue
32   DEKED (d + Deke) — executed a deceptive move & head of dormitories rebuffed MIT frat
33   AID (A + ID) — help & across Idaho
35   MONASTIC (theoreM ON A STICker) — ascetic & theorem on a sticker conveys
37   STEPPE (“step”) — plain & sounded out part of a plan
39   ACDC (CDC + a) — rock band & government health organization goes after a
40   HIJAB (hi + jab) — religious headwear & opening remark: “Punch
42   CAGE (c + age) — enclosure & tomcat’s essentially mature
44   GARBO (garb + O) — Classic film actress & attire at ball
46   ADAR (radar – r) — month in Israel & leaderless air traffic control system
48   OCD (harDCOre) — reason to see a shrink & employed by misguided hardcore
49   RETAKE (tear + ke) — photographer’s do-over & tear off half of keys
50   BOLO (“beau low”) — cowboy’s tie & they say boyfriend discouraged
51   DEPAUL (led up a) — Chicago university & engineer led up a
52   EKE (racE KEepers) — scratch & Race Keepers: internally
53   PENCE (penance – an) change in England & forgiveness comes after it throws away an

DOWN
1   STORM-DAMAGED (stored + MDMA + a + G) — like some buildings in San Juan & reserved lies about Molly circling a grand
2   HEAVEN (n + heave) — angel’s domain & one’s heart at end of fling
3   ANKA (mANKAto) — singer Paul & Mankato inhabitants
4   CHASM (chase – e + m) — gorge & trail short man
5   KREE (reek) — Captain Marvel aliens & horrible reek
6   DAL (dale – E) — Indian dish & earl pulled out of valley
7   CHIA (CHIAroscuro) — seed & four elements of chiaroscuro
8   BULWARKS (bulks + war) — ramparts & increases imbued with conflict
9   LID (dial – a) — cover & retro phone is missing a
10   EVENLY (Evelyn) — with a steady pace & surprising Evelyn
11   FIDDLE-DEE-DEE (fiddled + D + EE, EE) — rubbish & took after Nero, down between a pair of electrical engineers
13   SORDID (so + R + did) — sleazy & hence Republican achieved
14   TEND (t + end) — lean & attorney’s second close
18   GUAVA (lava – l + gu) — fruit & lava never starts past middle of August
23   AUK (A + UK) — seabird & first-class island country
24   CRITICAL (c + rial + tic) — important & onset of carnage near capital of Yemen surrounds jerk
27   R AND R (ran + Dr.) — refreshing period & fled with doctor
29   DECADE (decadent – nt) — a long time & terminal couple dropped out of immoral
30   WET (“whet”) — soggy & hone a blade, from what I hear
31   LOCALE (E + lo cal) — spot & energy following diet
34   IPECAC (ace + PI + C) — it’ll bring up uncomfortable things? & ace detective brought back cold
36   SHOT (s + hot) — washed up & last of advertisements in Vogue
38   EAGLE (beagle – b) — two under & premier abandoning dog
41   JAKE (j + cake – c) —satisfactory & hint of jasmine dessert without the initial
42   CROP (aCROPolis) — cut short & Acropolis section
43   GOON (go + on) — thug & beat a retreat by running
45   BEA (“be”) — Arthur on television & exist for the audience
47   ABE (tABErnacle) — Lincoln & tabernacle displaying

When the wordplay sections of the clues are restored to their proper positions, their first letters in clue order spell the message SHADE EVERY SQUARE THAT’S GOT A LETTER FROM THE FIRST HALF OF THE ALPHABET.

This is the DEPARTMENT STORE emoji, 🏬.