Something in Common by Lionheart

Puzzle explanation

The extra letters in wordplay spelt out “metre; one song to the tune of another; Cranbrook”. The answers to the normal clues were Christmas carols in common metre, ie alternating lines of eight and six syllables. Their grid entries were the opening notes (in the key of C) of the tunes to which they are traditionally sung in Britain. Cranbrook is another common-metre tune, used for While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks, which replaced the “tune” entries. Then the crossing, unclued entries were completed as Humphrey Lyttelton, the long-time host of the BBC radio show I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, in which one of the regular rounds is One Song to the Tune of Another, where contestants incongruously sing the words of one song to the tune of another. The clues also adhered to common metre.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation [extra letter]
Across
1 SANTA [M]ANTA after S
5 ACTIONERS (TO INCR[E]ASE) *
11, 17 JOY TO THE WORLD JOY + TOT + HEW + LORD *
13 INCOMER IN + COME[T] + R
16 OAKY O + A[R]K + Y
19 WEAR WE AR[E]
20 SLATE S[O] + TEAL *
22, 31 IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR (CAME UPON + AMID + NIGHT + CLEAR) after IT
25 MYOSIN MY + [N]O + SIN
26 ROSEOLA (ALOE + SOR[E]) <
27 OPEN-END OPEN + [S]END
29 PHIL PHIL[O](sophy)
34 HOGTIE HO[N]G + TIE
35 HARE’S-EAR HARE + SE[G]AR
37, 41 O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM (WE LEFT THE MOONLIT + B + HOTEL) *
39 SOON SO[T] + ON
40 AUF AU + [O]F
42 MEGILP (ME[T] + LP) around GI
43 SOUTH SEA S[H]OUT + (HAS + E) *
Down
1 SCOW COW[E]S *
2 ABAS A + BA[T]S
3 NAKED A[U]K in NED
4 A FEW (WE + FA[N]) <
5 ADD D[E]AD *
6 CICADA CAD in CIA[O]
7 TIGRE [F]RIGATE * − A
8 OCAS O + CAS[A]
9 EMBASE BA[N]S in EME
10 RECTI RECT[O] + I
14 OBLONG [T]O + B + LONG
15 RE-ENDORSE (RON S[H]EERED) *
21 ORPHISM (HIS ROP[E]) * + M
22 COHOG CO[R] + HOG
23 DOMICAL D + [C]OMICAL
24 CLUED-UP LU[R]ED in CUP
28 NEAFFE NÉ + AFFE[A]RD − (R + D)
30 CHEFS CH + [N]EFS
31 FALDO FA[B] + L + DO
32 DELFT DEL + F[R] + (pain)T
33 GENES (SEN + EG[O]) <
36 SIGH (lockdown)S I G[O] H(ome)
38 COG C + O + G[K]
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