Devilry by Nutmeg

Puzzle explanation

The corrections for clue misprints spelt out “shade six symmetric devils”, so the hidden devils SATAN, FIEND, CLOOTS, HORNIE, DAIMON and BELIAL were to be highlighted. The unclued RALPH at 25ac is a “printer’s devil”, the imp of mischief in a printing house.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Misprint Answer Explanation
Across
1 pus(S) WILDCAT WILD + ACT *
7 (H)ours ASHURA A + SH + A after UR
12   SNAIL board(S NAIL)ing
13   ALCOPOP ven(AL COP OP)erating
14 co(A)ts TRICOT (TOT around (CI + R)) <
15 ki(D) RECS homophone of REX
16   PESTO du(PES TO)mmies
17   HOGAN wart(HOG A N)asty
18   TANGI Sa(TAN GI)ves
19   IDES high t(IDE, S)ea
21 Fli(E)s TSETSES SETS in TES
23   CELLA a par(CEL LA)tely
28   RONDE lady killer we visited he(R ON DE)ath row
30   URBANER in t(URBAN, ER)ring
31   SOCA al(SO CA)ter
33   WIFIE Ho(W I FIE)ld
37   IONIC petit(ION I C)an send
38 Grin(S) LEERS LEVER − V + S
39   AHEM par(A, HE M)ade
40 (I)t KISMET (wor)K + TIMES *
41 fi(X)es REPONES REPS around ONE
42 (S)our ACIDY CID in AY
43 fl(Y) TRENDY TRY around END
44 (M)asses TELECOM TELE + COM(e)
Down
2   IN REM Chapl(IN REM)oves
3 (M)any LAISSES L(ear’s) + I in ASSES
4 s(E)t DICTATED DATED around (I(n) C(i)T(y))
5 Plan(T)’s ALTHAEA ALA around HEAT *
6   TALON actor’s par(T ALON)e
7   ALEGGE favourites in fin(AL EGGE)d on
8 (R)asp SCRAICH CRAI(g) in SCH
9   UPEND so(UP END)ured
10 c(I)ties ROCHELLE (OLD LECHER − D) *
11   APSE enough, ch(APS E)at up
12 R(C)s ST PETER’S TER in SEPTS <
20 hel(D) SACRISTY AS < + R in CITY’S *
22 l(E)ss SMOOTHER S + MO + OTHER
24 (V)anish EVANESCE CE after (EVANS around E)
25   REWOUND we(RE WOUND)ed
26 sp(I)ke PRICKLE R in PICKLE
27 (L)ocal ENDEMIC END + MICE with “last to start”
29   WINCEY fe(W IN CEY)lon
32   CRÊPE medi(C REPE)ated
34 out(S)et FIRST R(etailer)S in FIT
35   CREDO musi(C REDO)lent
36   DART sat an(D ART)ist
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