Instructions: Guess the words defined by the cryptic clues (answers vary in length from three to eight letters, six are capitalized, and one is a variant spelling) then enter them in the grid one after another in the same order as their clues, starting in the upper left corner. Across words that don't end at the right continue on the next row, and down words that don't end at the bottom continue in the next column. Seven across words and seven down words won't fit in the grid unless one of their letters is removed. Those fourteen letters, taken in order as they occur in across and down words, spell a four-word phrase related to the mystery entry.  Thanks to Kevin Wald for test-solving and editing this puzzle. If you are having trouble printing these puzzles, you can download an Adobe Acrobat version of the puzzle and grid.

1. Red Sox manager holds back snake
2. Latent bent or gift
3. Youth goes around ancient city to get dish
4. In the class of ripened mango
5. One hundred are a source of concern
6. Artificial being playing Lego with Mark
7. Choose essentially wrong particle
8. Generous interpretation of braille
9. Rodent turned north for lake
10. Regulation of pace of victim in game
11. Expression of small distance
12. Mystery entry
13. May replaces Peter in writing for fabric
14. The French dame is legit
15. Fire or flame of a bone
16. Merit of Spanish free verse
17. Maiden youth has got to refuse
18. Ravage in death
19. Hit and improperly deepen
20. Class has no time for argument
21. Prevent cervid ingesting last of wheat
22. Verse for Don in residence upstairs
23. Alarm in Tosca recording
24. Sole desolated island of Estonia

1. Shorten mutt track
2. Chain of eggs, about 500
3. Insect in margin losing density
4. Red tire punctured and put away
5. More go nuts about former territory
6. Ron came running for a good story
7. Massenet opera doesn't start soon
8. Money supply by end of day for Jennifer, the poker player
9. Star-shaped stone found in sea
10. Blocks of one mile affected speed
11. Lead bar in California and Maine
12. Line held by oversized end in ship's bottom
13. Canada likely to embrace tennis player
14. Momentarily covering sign
15. Excellent flower for spring holiday
16. Force of wild green yard
17. Revealed holding past particle
18. Guard girl seen in mirror
19. Least constricted of forest's first new trees
20. Body cavity of Cape mole after injury
21. Very harsh cut made at the end
22. Maneuver of feline turning with sudden involuntary muscular movement
23. Cerebral lament is stricken