Hark the Herald by Opsimath

Puzzle explanation

The extra letters in wordplay spelt “who wrote Bohemian Rhapsody?”. The Queen song was written and composed by FREDDIE MERCURY, whose birth name FARROKH BULSARA in the initial grid was changed to his adopted name. The puzzle’s title referred to Mercury, the Roman herald of the gods.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation [extra letter]
Across
1 DECAHEDRAL (REAL CAD HE’D) *
10 AZULEJO AZ + JOULE with letters cycled
11 SQUARE S + QUA + RE
12 FORTRESS FOR + TRESS
14 SHED 2 meanings
17 JAGUAR 2 meanings
18 STOA OATS *
19 WATERGATE 2 meanings
21 ASWING AS + WING
23 AGISTER MAGISTER − M
24 WALDO W + A + L + DO
26 MADLY (MY LAD) *
28 RETARDS (RATS RED) *
30 EXISTS (EXIT + S) around S(eptember)
32 ITEMISING ITEM + I + SING
33 SOIL S + OIL
35 ENRING ERRING with (radia)N for R(adian)
39 NEIF (sce)NE I F(ilmed)
40 REFORMER RE + FORMER
42 NAEVUS (VAN USE) *
43 LOSABLE LO + SABLE
44 EPITHETONS PITH in (E + E) + TONS
Down
1 DAFFS D[W]ARFS with F for R
2 CURR CUR around R[H]
3 ALT ALT[O]
4 HERO (s)HE [W]RO(nged)
5 DOSH DO[R]S + H
6 AQUARIA ([O]AR + I) in AQUA
7 NAHUATLS (A LAST HUN[T]) *
8 CREATE CRE[E] + ATE
9 PEDREROS PEE around (Ma)DR(as) + [B]ROS
13 OATS (P)O(c)A(h)[O](n)T(a)S
15 RAIL R(epublicans) + [H]AIL
16 KAGO (I)K[E]A GO(ods)
20 TARSI [M]ARS in TI
21 ADRIENNE (A DIRE) * + N[I]NE
22 WATERIER (I TEAR) * in WE[A]R
25 DRINK UP DRAIN − A + PU[N]K <
26 MENU ME + [R]UN <
27 DISS DIS[H]’S
29 ETNEAN (NAE + [A]NTE) <
31 TIRE TI[P] + RE
34 LARES (A + R) in LES[S]
36 BELT [O]BE + LT
37 LOSE (O)L[D] (N)O(r)S(e po)E(t)
38 AMBO (OB + MA[Y]) <
41 RAT TAR <
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