Seconds Out by Stick Insect

Puzzle explanation

The corrections to misprints spelt out “American presidential race winners, not losers”. The answers to the remaining clues were the surnames of losing candidates in US elections, replaced in the grid by the corresponding victors: King → MONROE (1816), Clay → POLK (1844), Cox → HARDING (1920), Smith → HOOVER (1928), Ford → CARTER (1976), Carter → REAGAN (1980), Dole → CLINTON (1996), Gore → BUSH (2000). The initially blank central entry at 26ac could be filled by either TRUMP or BIDEN, the two main candidates in the 2020 US election that took place in the week of publication, to make new words reading down. Entries with either name, or both, were accepted, even when it was internationally accepted that Biden won.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Misprint Answer Explanation
Across
1   COX OX after C(rew)
6   FORD F + O + RD
10 He(A)d ONION (c)O(u)N(c)I(l) + ON
11 (M)atter PROTHYLE LE(t) after TROPHY *
12 cod(E) OMERTÀ OMER + TA
14 (R)eferring ENTERAL ENTER + AL(l)
16 tra(I)ts A BAD HAT (A + B + HAT) around AD
17 heroi(C) EDDAIC CADDIE *
19 Lo(A)fs SLOSHES SS around HOLES *
22 re(N)der CLOY COLY with inside letters reversed
23 (P)estered IRKED K in (I + RED)
25   GORE G OR E
27   CLAY C + LAY
29 Dai(R)y CHURN TURN with CH for T
30 cas(E) INRO (Calif)ORNI(an) <
33 pa(S)s OUTLAST TOUTS * around LA
35 St(I)rling SASINE IS < in SANE
36 win(D) SAIL ARM (MATERIALS − TE) *
39 L(E)ad GUIGNOL LONG < after GUI
40 ki(N) NUTMEG (GEM + TUN) <
41 No(T) ECLECTIC C in ELECT + I/C
42 t(I)me’s LONGA (Baby)LON GA(zette)
43   KING 2 meanings
44   DOLE DO + LE
Down
1   SMITH SH around MIT
2 m(A)ssage AN MO MOAN with MO moved down
3 ba(L)e DORLACH CHORDAL *
4 (R)ights IN TAIL INT + AIL
5 f(A)t GREASY GR + EASY
6 (C)are COND D after CON
7 ris(E) RHEAS RASH * around E
8 (W)ildly ELATEDLY ATE in ELD + L(avator)Y
9 Sp(I)ce RELISH (appa)REL IS H(alf)
13 la(N)d EDDISH DISHED *
15 (N)orse THOR (THROWN − (W + N)) *
18 Interne(E)s CONS COS around N
20 ove(R) LINS NIL < + S
21 (S)A TUCUTUCO (CUT + U) in (TU(lare) + CO)
24 a(N)d EONISM (IN SOME) *
26 V(O)lley RAIN RA + IN
27 bi(T) POSITON POSITION − second I
28 p(L)aying DODGEM M after DODGE
30 s(O)me ITALIC (A + LICIT) with IT moved to the front
31 branche(S) RAMULI (p)RIMULA *
32   CARTER CAREER with T for E
34 B(E)er LAGER LAAGER − A
37 t(R)ee LOTE LOT + E(ndeavour)
38 be(S)et BEGO ((Scro)OGE B(arely)) <
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