Conversion by Samuel

Puzzle explanation

Answers not fully appearing in the grid are shown in the table below. Corrections to misprints in clues spelt “Seconds out, round one”. Accordingly, across answers were entered “round one”, with all letters cyclically shifted one cell to the right, and down answers had their second letter omitted. Cassius Clay was to be located in the grid and converted to Muhammad Ali, the name adopted by Clay on his conversion to Islam. This completed the quotation “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”, which was to be highlighted, in the shape of a boxing ring. The two professions found wanting were (Henry) Cooper (40ac) and (George) Foreman (15dn), both defeated by Ali.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

Number Misprint Answer Explanation
Across
1   ASSET TESSA <
5   OTOCYSTS (BOYCOTT’S, S for B) *; reference Geoffrey Boycott
10   T-BAR TBA + R
11 (S)ame ILK ELK, I’ for E(strus)
12   ADO A + DO [ditto]
13 tre(E) CASSIA (I + S(ee) + SAC) < + À
14   CLAYS BARCLAYS – CLAY; reference clay pigeon shooting
17   FAT FARM FLAT – L + FAR + M
18   STORTING SING about TORT
20   AEDES Every third letter in “plAguEs iDle EmuS”
21   HERESY HER + EASY – A
22 be(C)ks STREAMY STEAMY about R
24   REPLACEABLE REP + LACE + BALE *
27 w(O)rds EFFABLE FEEL * about (F + AB)
29 ti(N)ts STAINS R out of (S + TRAIN + S)
31   CLASP S in CLAP
33   ANALECTA AN + ALEC + TA; meaning of name Alexander
34 (D)imer CYSTINE Homophone (SISTINE)
39 re(S)olution STOUT ’S + TOUT [“all” in French]
40   COOPER CO + OPER(a)
41 L(O)rry’s UTE (c)UTE(r)
42 (U)tter RIM I’M after R
43   UPON COUPON – CO
44 rela(T)ing SIDEREAL (DESIRABLE – B) *
45   STOSS TOSS after S
Down
1   TORAH TO + RAHU – U
2   SEBAT B in SEAT
3   SEASHORE ASHES * + O’RE
4 e(R)ection EYESORE (SEE TORY + E) * – T
5   ST KITTS (SKIS + 3 × T) *
6   OPIUM O + PIÙ + M
7   OUTCASTE (STOUT + ACE) *
8   COAL TAR COLA * + TAR(t)
9   SPAYAD SAD about PAY
12 N(O)rse OLAF Hidden
15   FOREMAN F + (’RE in OMAN)
16 (U)nion RUSHEE (S(eller) + HE) in RUE
19   INYALA Hidden, reversed
21 (N)amed YCLEPED (C + DEEPLY) *
23 sha(D) ALLICE ALL + ICE
25 (O)olite PEA-STONE PEEN about (A + SOT *)
26   ANTLIONS AN’T + LIONS
28   FEASTED FASTED about E
29   SANGRIA GRAIN’S * + A
30   SEALCHS (champion)S + (Col)E out of CHELSEA *; reference soccer; the plural is confirmed in an early edition of Chambers Words
32 Spi(N)y CACTUS CACHES, with HE becoming TU
35 be(E)r’s YEST ES in YT
36   NACRE N + ACRE
37   KNOUT U in KNOT
38   OLEOS LOOSE *
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