How to _____ by Colleague

Puzzle explanation

In the radio communication alphabet used before 1956 and the NATO alphabet used afterwards, the only words that didn’t change were CHARLIE, MIKE, VICTOR and XRAY. The following pairs of old and new words appeared in the grid, starting from the same cell: NAN and NOVEMBER, ABLE and ALPHA, TARE and TANGO, OBOE and OSCAR. The word for H changed from HOW to HOTEL, giving the puzzle’s title. Both full lists are in Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, under the entry for “Roger”, for which “received (and understood)” was a hint in the preamble.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation
Across
1 APOSTLE A + ST in POLE
6 CARHOP CARP around HO
12 CESTUI C + S in ÉTUI
14 LATHY LAY around T(houg)H
15 X-RAY X + RAY
16 EASE SAE < + E
17 EPOS EP + OS
18 GLASS (GAS + S) around L
19 KARNO RANK * + O’
20 BERETS BERES around T(arpaulin)
21 BWANA B(o)W(m)A(n) N(e)A(r)
23 SILURIST SIST around LURI(d)
25 SHRANK KNARS < around (Marc)H
26 ALPHASORT (PASTORAL(e) + H) *
28 BASE A in BSE
30 ONER ONE + R(azorback)
31 EPISTOLET (Di)EP(pe) + IS + TO LET
32 ANGOLA A + ALONG *
34 DOULEIAS (USED OIL + A) *
35 GATED DE-TAG <
37 ENARMS ENA + R + MS
39 TOSCA CAST * around O
42 MARIE (humdru)M ARIE(tta)
43 LUTE (reso)LUTE
44 BICE ICE after B
45 EKKA (d)EKK(o) + A(uditors)
46 ROLES ORLES with O moved to the right
47 LOAVES L + OAVES
48 ANSWER (A + R) around (N + S + W + E)
49 JAEGERS S after JAEGER
Down
1 ACERB ACE + R(ent-a-mo)B
2 PEAK 2 meanings
3 OSSA (AS + SO) <
4 STERNA TERN + (os)SA; ref. 3dn
5 LIDO LI + DO
6 CAPELLMEISTER IMPRECATES * around ELL
7 ATOM A + TOM
8 HYGEIAN (HYENA + I + (do)G) *
9 PRAETOR PRAEPOSTOR − POS
10 PASTORALE (LAST OPERA) *
11 SYSSITIA (ASS IT IS + Y(ou)) *
13 ULNA L in UNA
14 LEVIABLE LEVI + ABLE(t)
22 WHIP SNAKE WHIPSNADE with K for D
23 SKEO SKELETON − LET ON + O
24 UPSTARES homophone of UPSTAIRS
25 SCENEMEN EMINENCES * − I
27 HOAS HO(r)AS
28 BIDARKA BID + ARK + A
29 STUMERS STURMER’S − R
33 GASBAG GAB around S(terling) + AG
35 GOBO GOO around B
36 DRESS REDRESS − RE
38 MULE MURE with L for R
39 TALA TA + LA; ref. Apia in Samoa
40 CIVE V in CIE
41 ACER ACE + (rubbe)R
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