Translation by Sabre

Puzzle explanation

The six thematic words are translations of “knight” (in chess) in various European languages: Russian КОНЬ, German SPRINGER, Spanish CABALLO, French CAVALIER, Italian CAVALLO and Dutch PAARD. The clue for 4dn included an instruction to enter the B in lower case (see “keep down” in Chambers), allowing the Russian entry to be “seen” at 16ac with the soft sign Ь. The Cyrillic character В is a different letter, so КОНВ is not a correct spelling.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation
Across
1 LITERAL LIT + LEAR *
7 BEANO BE + À + N + O(xford)
11 AHORSEBACK (A + HOCK) around SABRE *
13 BOSOMS BOSS around (O’ + M(eissen))
14 ARGIVE A + R + GIVE
16 KOHL (pac)K (g)O (wit)H (tea)L
17 SPRINTER PRINTERS with last letter moved to front
18 SPONGEBAG (BAG’S GONE) * around P
22 EAT E(yestrain) A(nd) T(ension)
23 CITAL (I in CT) + A + L(awyer)
25 CABALLÉ CABALLED − D (at the end)
26 HALITES HE’S around ALIT
28 YACHT (TH(e) + CAY) <
30 OVA (cardi)OVA(scular)
31 DOGGERIES D + (GEORGE IS) *
34 LAVALIER LAV + A + LIER
37 PRAT TAR < after P(lum)
38 BLAZON (YES + BLAZON) * = LAZYBONES *
39 LASCAR L + A + SCAR
40 TOWEL-GOURD (OUT RED GLOW) *
41 ROSES ROSE + S(eptember)
42 DEGRADE D + AGREED *
Down
1 LAIKS LASIK with S moving lower
2 BLOOP BP around LOO
3 TOP-HAT (TWO − W) + PHAT
4 PROb PRO + B (in lower case)
5 RAMS (Trist)RAM S(handy)
6 BESPECKLING (SPECK + L + IN) in BEG
7 BARE BAR + (bi)E(rkEllEr)
8 BEIGEL (LEG + IE) < after B(O)
9 NOVELLA NO + VELL + A
10 OVERGOT GO in OVERT
12 BARBASTELLE ((cricke)T (tou)R (us)E + BASEBALL) *
15 ANGLER (LARGE + N) *
19 MAIDAN AIDA in MN
20 ALTO (Parsif)AL TO(ne-deaf)
21 ABYE A + BY + (pi)E
23 CHOC-BAR (CB + AR) around HOC
24 CAVALLA CAVA + ALL <
27 LOVATS (V + A(ura)) in LOTS
29 CIRCUS C + I’ + RCUS
32 FA’ARD A in FARD
33 STELE LETS < + E
35 LOWN LOW + (nu)N
36 RAGS (fo)R (oper)A (goin)G (dres)S
37 FLOR F(rom) L(ots) O(f) R(ain)
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