Lassoed by Hotspur

Puzzle explanation

Misprint corrections spelt Caught in the Web of Words, the biography, written by his granddaughter, of James Murray, the first editor of the OED. In the grid, his name is “enmeshed” by four synonyms of “web” reading diagonally. Unused letters from clashes could be arranged to spell VERBAL.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Misprint Answer Explanation
Across
1   SIRENIA SIR + EN(t)IA
7   CLIENT LIEN in CT
11   AGITATION (I + TATI) in AGON
12   SPAR RAPS <
14 (C)ity SUBURB SUB + CURB − C(harity)
16 br(A)nch RAMATE ATE after RAM
17   GALA GALAH − H
18 d(U)es DEBTS DEBUT − U + S
20   ANTA ANTHESTERIA − HESTER − I
22   REMIX REX around MI
23 (G)reat RAD GRAD − G
25 S(H)elter LEE LEE(s)
26   STELLS SPELLS with T for P
30 (T)est AMES AMES-ACE − ACE
31   URVA R in UVA
32 Tr(I)er JA WOHL JAW + OH + L
33   ROO ROOMIE − M − IE
35 Si(N)k SAG SAGA − A
38 over(T)urn WHELM W + HE + LM
41   SOLI SCOLION − C − ON
42 (H)ummer MIASM AS in (MI + M)
43   SILT L in SIT
46 tre(E)s ORCHAT OR + H(osiery) in CAT
48 (W)oe’s TSURIS RUST < + I’ + S
49   KUKU (UK + UK) <
50   DEHORNING (H + RIND GONE) *
51   ESCHAR SCH in EAR
52 sho(E)s INSOLES homophone of (INN + SOULS)
Down
2   IGUANA GUAN in (I + A)
3 (B)ones RIBS RIAS with B for A
4   ÉTUI E + TUI
5   NARGILEH HEN < around ARGIL
6   AISLE EL A(l) < around IS
7   CORAM COR + AM
8   ISM GISM − G
9   NATTILY NASTILY with T for S
10 l(O)ck TRESS 2 meanings
13 (F)oods PAELLAS PALLAS around E
14   SWARAJ JAS < around WAR
15   BARE BARESARK − SARK
19 (W)ields EXERTS EXPERTS − P
21   ARROWS (n)ARROWS
24   DAWCOCK D + AW + COCK
27 j(O)g TROTTERS TOTTERS around R
28   SIGILS SIG + IL + S
29 sto(R)ks JABIRUS RUS after (JAI around B)
34 (D)rop OMIT O’ + MIT
36   ALVINE V in (A + LINE)
37   SMOKE S + MOKE
39   ESTER ZESTER − Z
40   LICHI (LICHI + N) in BERGEN = BERLICHINGEN
44   JUNO JUNCO − C
45 (S)eeds ARIL (M)ARIL(yn)
47   HUH HUSH − S
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