Whoppers by Nutmeg

Puzzle explanation

The short answers had different types of fish added to make new words. The extra letters in the other clues spelt out “Are fishermen all liars? Or do only liars”, a fragment of a verse given by William Sherwood Fox in his 1954 book Silken Lines and Silver Hooks: A Life-Long Fisherman Recounts His Catch:

We ask a simple question
And that is all we wish:
Are fishermen all liars?
Or do only liars fish?

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra letter Answer Explanation
Across
1 tr(A)y BATS STAB <
4   FORTE FORT + (edg)E
11 score(R) RIPPON R + IPPON
12 quit(E) AROUSAL (c)AROUSAL
14 (F)air IRMA M in AIR *
15 ru(I)ns STARE STATE with R for second T
16   BARED BARRED − R
17   RETS STER(n) <
19 (S)car MINIFY MINI + F(ade) + Y(ou)
21   STAFF S + TAFF
23 W(H)inged FLEW homophone of FLU
26 Nil(E) OTTO OTT + O
27   FRANCE F + RACE around N
31 g(R)apes GERNED GREEN * + D
32 (M)ascot SURCOAT ASCOT * around (U + R)
33   BED BEND − N
36 c(E)asing AULAS U in ALAS
37 ge(N)t ALDI DIAL with letters “cycled”
38 (A)new SLYNESS (LYES around N) in SS
39   MEN (a)MEN
40   PORTAL (PORT + L) around A
41 b(L)ack DUNG GNU < after (elan)D
Down
1 (L)over BRING OFF BORING − O + OFF
2 b(L)uffer AIRBAG cryptic definition
3   SOW 2 meanings (with different pronunciations)
4 w(I)ring FORCEPS PS after FORCE
5 co(A)t ON TO ((c)OT NO(w)) <
6   RA (Pha)RA(oh)
7 sho(R)t TRUEMEN MUTINEER * − I
8 worker(S) NUTANT NUT + ANT
9 P(O)et TARIFF TIFF around (A + R)
10 (R)ode ELEGY LEG in YE <
13 jade(D) SATIATE (ETAS around AIT) <
18 so(O)n SKINS S + S after KIN
20 c(O)urse DEER FLY REED < + FLY
22   FOOT 2 meanings; ref. Michael Foot
24 are(N)a MADRASA A in DRAMAS *
25 cu(L)ts SERCIAL C in SERIAL
26   ORD O + RD
28 (Y)ear REGULO (LUG in O’ER) <
29 b(L)uff ENFANT ENT around FAN
30 Tur(I)n SADDEN DAS < + DEN
31 (A)gent’s GRASP G(ent) + RASP
34 Ma(R)c’s OOSY CHOOSY − CH
35 coa(S)t ABBA (B + B) in AA
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