Atom Smasher by Llig

Puzzle explanation

Corrections to misprinted letters in down clues spelt “the letters A to M are erased”. This allowed resolution of clashes in 13 cells where a letter in the first half of the alphabet clashed with one in the second half, all 26 being used. All clue answers are shown in the table below.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Correction Answer Explanation
Across
1   JAVA Cryptic definition; reference Java coffee and Java applets
5   DAMOCLES (OC + L) in DAMES
10   NEREID IN REED *
11   AVAILE A + ALIVE *
13   AQUA AQUILA − (I’ + L)
14   HOSTA HOST + A [it]
16   CORBEAU COR(ona) + homophone (BOW)
17   STEEP STEP about E(verest)
19   PERIGEE PER + I + GEE
21   MINOAN MOAN about IN
22   RECORD RE + COR. + (roa)D
25   COLLISION COLL. + IS + I + ON
28   NEURAL (LUNAR + E(xplorer)) *
30   GNOMON G + (N + MOON) *
31   MORELLO LO(st) after MOREL
34   YOICK I in YOCK
36   VARIANT I in VARANT + T
37   ANANA NA in ANA
38   UNDO UN + DO
39   ALPINO PLAIN * + O
40   ACCEDE DECCA < + (m)E
41   DRICKSIE RICKS in DIE
42   DIVA AVID <
Down
1 Remo(T)e SPACEMEN MENACE * after SP
2 s(H)eep ANCON ANCONA − A
3 mar(E)s ARABS A + BAR < + S(chool)
4 al(L) GENERAL (LAGER + (wi)NE) *
5 Ban(E) DIOXIN DI + OX + IN
6 S(T)uff MATTER (RET + TAM) <
7 ma(T)ch CANTICO CANT + I + CO
8 w(E)lder PILE (LIFE, P for F) *
9 (R)unny SEEP SEE + P
12 deba(S)es LOWERS (L + R) about OWE + S
15 b(A)ng SUPERNOVA (P + OVER A SUN) *
18 deb(T) INCUR Hidden
20 (O)dd GONZO GON + ZO
23 lea(M)s DENEBOLA DEN + EBOLA
24 Sh(A)ft BEFOOL BE + FOOL
26 c(R)eating ORECTIC OR + HECTIC − H
27 br(E)ach INFRACT IN + FR + ACT
29 Bar(E) LLANOS ALL < + N + O’ + (Ande)S
30 c(R)icket GLANCE C in ANGLE *
32 tr(A)mped HIKED HID about (K + E)
33 Clo(S)ed ENDED GENE, with final E in DD, − G
34 M(E)rry GLAD G + LAD − Y
35 ban(D) IMPI IMP + I
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