Puzzle Smash by Smidgers

Puzzle explanation

To solve the sudoku puzzle, it wasn’t necessary to establish which of the Ts stood for two and which T was three, which F was four or five, or which S was six or seven, as long as there were two of each of those letters in every sudoku row, column and box.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation
Across
1 ABRADING GABARDIN(e) *
7 COOEE CO + O + EE
11 TRANSFECTS TRACTS around (N(ew) S(pecies) F(eed) E(veryone))
13 TENETS E(spoused) in TENTS
14 SELF S(anta) + ELF
15 STONES 2 meanings; ref. Mick Jagger, Rolling Stones
16 OFTEN OF TEN (cf “in 100”)
17 AURICLE PECULIAR * − P
18 BREATH BERTHA *
19 SET FORTH SET + FOR + TH(e)
22 FINOS (SON + IF) <
24 FOSTERS FOSTER’S
26 FENTS (toile)T in FENS
28 FESTOONS SNOOTS < after FE
30 ESCAPE CAPE after ES
32 NATURAL UR (textspeak) in NATAL
35 FLOWN FLOW + (i)N
36 FEASTS SAFEST *
38 FANS 2 meanings
39 STOLEN (line)S TO LEN(ingrad)
40 FLINTSTONE FLINT’S + TONE
41 SOARS SOAR + S
42 DIANTHUS DIAN(a) + THUS
Down
1 ARENA AREA around (actio)N
2 FOBS OF < + BS
3 SATIN SAT + IN
4 DRENCH (b)ENCH after DR
5 LOFTIEST LOST around (FT + IE)
6 BONGS B(lush) O(n) N(oticing) G(rowling) S(tomach)
7 CALORIE (CAROLINE with R and L switched) − N
8 FOSSETTE FOSSE + (entrecha)T (balle)T (styl)E
9 SOFTEN S + OFTEN; ref. 16ac
10 ECCE HOMO (COME + ECHO) *
12 FEES (o)F(f)E(r)E(r)S
15 FERNS F(rond) E(xhibitors) R(eleasing) N(umerous) S(pores)
19 RENEWALS ((t)REES + LAWN) *
20 AFFOREST AFFOR(d) + SET *
21 TAFFETAS (SATE + F + FAT) <
23 FORTE FOR + TEA − A
25 REPLANS REP + LANS
27 ONSETS ON + SETS
29 STALIN L in STAIN
31 FENDS FRIENDS − RI
32 FONT cryptic definition
33 FUTON FUN around TO
34 LENDS L + ENDS
37 FUST FUSTIAN − IAN
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