Reductio ad Absurdum by Stick Insect

Puzzle explanation

The message in the grid’s perimeter read “delete perimeter message and alternate rows and columns”. Making the right choice of alternates left cells containing the further instruction “delete all, send unfilled grid”. The initially filled grid is shown here.

This was the 1500th Listener Crossword to be checked by the current statistician, whom the setter wished to thank for his dedicated service by giving an easier week for marking. It was also an attempt to produce a Listener with no incorrect entries; the attempt was unsuccessful.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation [extra letter]
Across
8 NOWAYS NOW + S after (A + Y)
9 REMANET (METER MAN) * − M
10 MUDS S[E]DUM *
12 EALE ELA[T]E <
14 ETTLE (s)ETTLE(ment)
16 SINCLAIR I in CLARINS *
18 LEEWAY EEL < + YAW <
19 GLISK LI[E]S in GK
20 RUNKLE RUN + L[I]KE *
21 NOSE NO SE
22 CLEAN three meanings
25 QUENAS QU[E]EN + A + S
27 DRILL [M]ILL after DR
30 RODE CORRODED − COR/D
32 BEGS EG in BS
33 NEF (FINE − I) *
35 LEER LE + [A]RE <
37 NAME AM in NE
38 WOE W + O + E
39 OFLAG (O + LAG) around F
40 SOD OD[E]’S *
41 GARNI (GRAN[N]IE − (blous)E) *
42 WINNERS (sho)W IN [A]N ERS(twhile)
43 NUBIA (I BU[R]N A) *
Down
1 DOUTED DOU(b)TED
2 LASE ALES *
3 EYE (Disn)EYE(sque)
4 PEENGE TEEN[A]GE with P for first letter
5 EME (c)EME(tery)
6 RATLINE TRE[E]NAIL *
7 MELIKS SM[O]KE * around LI
11 DEERE DEE + RE
13 LILL L + ILL
15 CANN CAN + N
16 SYKER (ea)SY KE[A] R(ebus)
17 CLOU CLOU(seau)
23 ALIMENT (TIME L[O]AN) *
24 DOLORS (alcoho)L in DOORS
26 NEELD NÉE + LD
28 RENOIR (AS TOP MAN + RENOIR) * = (AN IMPERSONATOR) *
29 LIÈGE IE in L[U]GE
31 DUENDE [S]END in DUE
32 BEFOUL (BE + L) around FOU
34 AWARN A + WA + RN
36 RABID RA + BID
39 OINT POINT − P
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