No How by JFD

Puzzle explanation

The initial letters of the extra words in clues spelt out “Revenons à nos moutons; Pathelin”. The Phrases and quotations from foreign languages appendix in Chambers identifies the phrase as “let us return to our sheep: ie our subject. — from the medieval farce Maître Pathelin”. The French drama is about the trial of a shepherd L’Aignelet (Norman French for “the little lamb”; his name is given as Aignelet in Brewer’s) who has been accused of stealing sheep, in which the plaintiff Joceaulme rambles and the judge admonishes the parties to stay on topic. This was represented in the grid by JOCEAULME reading upwards to MERINO and L’AIGNELET reading upwards to GIMMER. Also highlighted were the entries BAAING ANSWERS, as the defence lawyer Pathelin advised his client to respond “baa” to all questions. The puzzle’s title represented this “no comment” strategy, partially translated as if from the French comment.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra word Answer Explanation
Across
1 recently MERINO MORE * around IN
5 empty LION-CUB COUNCIL * with B for C
10 views IDÉE IE around DE
11 Evil CONTESSA CON + TESSA
13 news AMMANS AMMONS with A for O
14   BUTEA EA after BUT
15 Officials TOLLED TOD around ELL <
19   UREA URE + A
20   NATION RATION with N for first letter
22   COLA ACOL with first letter moved later
23   YULE LOG UGLY * around ELO
24 nationalism OGEE (E + EGO) <
25 saves SANA’A SAN + AA
26 angrily LIPA (bil)L I PA(y)
29 nark DISCIDE CID in (DIS + E)
31   ETEN ET + EN
32 often REMOTE RETE around MO
33 same BOUN OB < + UN
36   REGROW R(emark) + EG + ROW
38 mogul OATER ATE in OR
39   TERTIA TERMINATE * − MEN *
40 order UNSEALED UNSEATED with L for ’T
41 Unusual ANPR (c)AR around (N + P)
42   TOLSEYS (YES in SLOT) <
43   SALTOS S + ALTO’S
Down
1   MISTICO (opti)MISTIC O(rdering)
2 tyre EDDO (inflat)ED DO(wnhill)
3 oaky REAL ALE REALISABLE − IS − B
4 Not NUMEROSITY (MINISTER YOU) * − I
5 Student LONGA L + ON + G + A
6   INSINUATOR URINATION’S *
7   NEUM M after (NE + U)
8 Poor USER SUER with U moved up
9 accent BAAING AI in BANG
12 tissue STEIL (TOILET’S − TO) *
16 house DECADENTLY (L(o)T < in NY) after DECADE
17 ease MALAGUETTA MAL + AGUE + ATT <
18   LOGIE LO + GIE
21 lady’s OOPED O + O + PED
27   ITERANT (TE after I) + RANT
28   ANSWERS WEARS * around (N, S)
29 interest-free DRY OUT DRY + OUT
30   SMITS SITS around M
33   BLEES BS around LEE
34 nicotine MANO MANO(r)
35   JEES JE ES (as opposed to suis)
37   OPPO (Kaspar)O(v) + P + P(romotion) + O’
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