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This puzzle is a part of the Month-to-month Matter Problem #1: Restricted Title: xkcd 1xxx

Directions for this modified connecting wall:

  1. Within the connecting wall under, every merchandise as written accommodates one letter too many. As soon as this spare letter is eliminated, the true phrase to be categorised is an anagram of the remaining letters.
  2. Appropriately categorise these anagrams into 4 teams of 4, as per your customary connecting wall. The themes for every class are… nicely, you will work it out quickly sufficient… The 4 spare letters for every group can then be anagrammed right into a actual four-letter phrase. (In some instances, a couple of anagram is feasible – you will have to infer the supposed one when working via Step 3 under…)
  3. These 4 four-letter phrases are in flip linked by one remaining (contextually acceptable) five-letter phrase – what’s it?
ABORTION CHIANG MAI DURIANS ESPECIAL
FEDERAL IN THE CLEAR MALISM MOULDED
OH DEAR OINKED ONRUSH PETUNIAS
PRETORIUS SERAPH SYNDICATE TITIAN

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That is actually the Moon and the Nice Wall!

The teams are

Moons of Saturn:
malism -l = MIMAS
titian -i = TITAN
oinked -k = DIONE
petunias -n = IAPETUS

Nice Lakes of North America
onrush -s = HURON
chiang mai -a = MICHIGAN
pretorius -t = SUPERIOR
abortion -b = ONTARIO

Monarchs often known as the Nice
within the clear -l = CATHERINE
durians -n = DARIUS
oh pricey -a = HEROD
federal -e = ALFRED

Phrases related to Lunar
especial -a = ECLIPSE
syndicate -y = DISTANCE
moulded -d = MODULE
seraph -r = PHASE

This provides the 4 four-letter phrases

KILN, BATS, LANE and YARD
that are linked by the phrase
BRICK

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Partial reply, must revisit this later when I’ve extra time.

The primary group:

ABORTION = ONTARIO + B
CHIANG MAI = MICHIGAN + A
ONRUSH = HURON + S
PRETORIUS = SUPERIOR + T

These are 4 of the Nice Lakes within the US. The 4 extra letters anagram to STAB, BATS, TABS…?

The second group:

MALISM = MIMAS + L
OINKED = DIONE + K
PETUNIAS = IAPETUS + N
TITAN = TITAN + I

These are 4 moons of Saturn. The 4 extra letters anagram to LINK or KILN.

The third group:

DURIANS = DARIUS + N
FEDERAL = ALFRED + E
IN THE CLEAR = CATHERINE + L
OH DEAR = HEROD + A

These are 4 historic leaders who had “the Nice” as their title. The 4 extra letters anagram to LANE or LEAN.

The remaining phrases:

ESPECIAL = ECLIPSE + A?
MOULDED = MODULE + D?
SERAPH = SHAPE + R?
SYNDICATE = DISTANCE + Y?

Uncertain about this group. I initially had SHAPE and DISTANCE as two of the options as a result of I assumed DARIUS is perhaps RADIUS they usually have been all geometry phrases or one thing. So it is potential some or all of those are flawed, there are definitely different anagrams potential.

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