Black or White by Pilcrow

Puzzle explanation

The letters omitted from wordplay gave POPE and FRANCIS. Five of the unclued entries are homophones of powers of 2 (cardinal numbers): 1 = WON, 2 = TOO, 4 = FORE, 8 = EYOT, 16 = SIXTINE (a variant of “Sistine”, from the name of Pope Sixtus IV who restored the Sistine Chapel in the 15th century). The other two are the names of correspondingly numbered popes JOHN PAUL (I and II) and BENEDICT (XVI). The title refers to the colour of the smoke emitted from the Sistine Chapel during the election of a pope by the College of Cardinals, signifying failure or success in electing a new pope.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Misprint Answer [unclued letters] Explanation
Across
9 (L)ower UNDERFLOOR FLOUNDER * + OR
10 bo(O)st RAP PAR <
13   E[F]TSOONS (O + STONES) *
14 cha(R)ged ION IRON − R
15 Lea(D)er KAISER KAIS + ’RE <
16 (M)as GÎTE IT in GE
17 (A)ward OSCAR O’ + SCAR
20 li(K)e ALSO ’S in ’ALO
23 b(E)ast ADDAX A(wful) D(in) D(rowning) + AX
24 (M)aster EXARCH R in (AXE < + CH)
25   OM[R]AH OMAH(a)
26   [P]HOT[O] HOT
28 Re(E)ds PAPYRI (PAP + I) around RY <
29 Shi(A)s ISLAM I + S + LAM
30 i(N) NISI (I + SIN) <
32 r(I)ng GRAPO GO around RAP
33 pla(N)s IAGO I’ + A + GO
36   [A]GE-OLD GEOID with L for I
39 mar(S)h SOG S + GO <
40 ho(T) BLOWLAMP BLAM(e) around LOW + P
41 (R)ating ELO OLÉ <
42   [N]OOGENESIS O(rinoco) + (O + IS) around GENES
Down
1 geni(U)s JUNIOR OPTIME I in JUNO + ROP(e) + TIME
2   ON[C]OSTMAN OMAN around (NO + ST)
3 (M)ull NEUK NE + UK
4 m(E)ans AFFIDAVIT (n)AFF + DAVI(d) in IT
5 retai(N) LOSE E after LOS
6 (T)rack FROG FOG around R
7   ORN[I]S OR + N, S
8 T(O)rn RAST TSAR <
11   [P]S[E]PHOLOGIST L in HOOPS * + GIST
12 (F)ord IN-CAR (Arche)R after INCA
18   ADAY[S] YADA (yada yada) <
19 Lad(Y) NEWSWOMEN OMEN after (NE + WSW)
21 fl(O)w LAHAR HA in LAR
22 f(U)lly OCTAPODIC (CIA < around POD) after OCT
27 Stee(R)s OMASA AS in (A + MO) <
31 (P)olar IGLOO (I + O(bjective)) around GLO(w)
34 D(E)ftly ABLY LAY * around B
35 Go(A)ns’ OONT ONTO *
37 trea(C)le GLOB LOB after G
38 po(E)t’s DUED homophone of DUDE
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