Polo by Apt

Puzzle explanation

The misprints (wrong letters) in clues spelt out “Hofstadter’s Law”, which was stated as “It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter’s Law” in Douglas Hofstadter’s 1979 book Gödel, Escher, Bach. The paraphrase used here is infinitely recursive: “It will take longer than you think, even if you take into account that it will take longer than you think, even if you ...”. The puzzle’s title refers cryptically to Hofstadter’s sequel I Am a Strange Loop.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Misprint Answer Explanation
Across
7   TOILET TOIL + E(minen)T
10 (F)asten → H TIE UP (nigh)T + IE + UP
11   HILLO CHILL OUT − CUT (on the outside)
13   NORMA NORMA(n)
14 (C)ut → O SIRLOIN (LO + IN) after SIR
16 (W)orth → F RATE 2 meanings
17   BODGE BOD + G + E
18   CSÁRDÁS CARD around S + AS
19   MATLO MATLO(ck)
21   CESSER C + LESSER − L
23 mar(K) → S ACCENT ACCIDENT − ID
27   ONIONS ONS around ION
28 en(C)rusted → T CRUSTA CA around RUST
30   TARDY TAR + D(eadly) Y(orkers)
33   DECROWN (f)E(n)C(e)R in DOWN
36   NIECE NIE + CE
37 Dr(I)nk → A COLA ALCO(hol) *
38   ENERGID EN(t)ER + GID
39   BANTU BAN + TU
40   KAABA (KA + BA) around A
41 (P)awn’s → D SIRIH IRISH *
42 (J)ested → T YORICK YORK around I/C
Down
1   ITEMED (n)IT(s) + (r)EMED(y)
2   WIPERS WIS around PER
3   I’LL SAY ILLS + AY
4   LEVITY (LEV + Y(east)) around IT
5 (C)ars → E TAILBACK TAIL + BACK
6   AIRERS FAIRER − F + S
8   OUAKARI (f)O(r)U(m) A(s)K (s)A(u)R(o)I(d)
9 (W)oman → R KLOOTCH (S)TOCKHOL(m) *
10 (L)atin → S TOGA GOT < + A
12   LIDLESS MESS with LIDL for M(arketing)
15   USEDN’T T(o) N(u)D(i)E (i)S(s)U(e) <
20   ONE-TWO (HB)O NETWO(rk)
22   SCIAENA (IN A CASE) *
24   MORCEAU homophone of MORSE O (ie, –––)
25   UNDER-BOY (UN + DERBY) around (t)O(p)
26 (B)itter → L ACERBIC BIC after ACER
29   URANIN (sulph)UR AN IN(ert)
31 re(E)dy → A TOITOI homophone of (TOY + TOY)
32   ALDERN DERN after AL
33   DASSIE (AS SIDE) *
34 Ke(N) → W CLARKE (LACK + E(lderflowe)R) *
35   OATH (f)O(r) (b)ATH(s)
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