Back to the Future by Chalicea

Puzzle explanation

The extra words in clues were all reversible, making new words when “turned”, the initial letters of which spelt “Dick Whittington”. The words AGAIN, AGAIN, AGAIN, LORD, MAYOR, OF and LONDON were hidden in reverse in alternate rows of the grid, cryptically representing the verse “Turn again, [Whittington,] thrice Lord Mayor of London”, which in the traditional pantomime Dick Whittington is supposed to have heard from (37ac) Bow Bells as he was leaving London.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra word Answer Explanation
Across
1   NIAGARA GAIN < + (p)AR(t) + A(s)
7   NEED-BE NÉE + DBE
12   MURAL LARUM <
13 saved (devas) DIAN DI + AN(y)
14 ti (it) BANIA BAN + I + A
15   GARLANDS GAR + LANDS
16   IDA ID + A
17   SIT BY SUIT − U + BY
18   SILENI (u)S(e) (w)IL(d) (m)EN(’s) (w)I(t)
20   APACE APACHE − (strengt)H
21   SCALED SCALE + D(read)
25 doc (cod) DENDROLOGICAL (OLD DECLARING + O) *
27 leek (keel) AUCUBA A + U(prooted) + CUBA
30   STROY TROY after (Achille)S
33   COMATE CO-MATE
36   TIARA I in TARA
37   BOW (WOBBLING − BLING) <
38   TIMEFORM (FT MEMOIR) *
39   INBYE IN + BYE
40   ONER RENO <
41   RAISE 2 meanings
42 Raw (war) PERNOD PER + DON <
43   NO LET-UP OPULENT *
Down
1 D’oh (hod) NEBISH NE + BIS + H(eard)
2   IN A DIRECT LINE (INNER CITADEL) * around I
3   ANNALS L in ANNAS
4   GRISELDA GRISE + LAD *
5 Siri (iris) AMAIN MANIA *
6 part (trap) ARABA ARAB + A
7   NARY (A + R) in NY
8   ELLS SELL with letters cycled
9   DINNAE DINE around NA
10   BAD SCRAN TO YOU BROADCAST * around N + YOU
11   ENSHELL ENS + HELL
13   DAMP DA + MP
19 snot (tons) GLOB G(lee) + LOB
22 nori (iron) COCA CO + CA
23 pan (nap) ALU AL(l) + U
24   DIAMANTÉ ANIMATED *
25   DESKTOP (S(a)T + POKED) *
26 snug (guns) PRIMER PRIM + ER
28 rebut (tuber) RABBIT RABBI + T
29   BEWEEP (EWE + (cot)E) in BP
31 two (owt) OVER O + VER(ses)
32   MIRIN RIM < + IN
34 tin (nit) ORIEL OR + IE + L
35   AFRO ((Convect)OR FA(n)) <
36   TOAD (In)TO A D(itch); ref Toad in Wind in the Willows
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