The Usher by Hidewell

Puzzle explanation

The completed grid depicted a “coin pusher” arcade machine, where a coin (P) drops down a wall of pegs, bouncing left and right down a bifurcating path, and lands on a shelf with other precariously balanced coins, with the aim of causing a cascade for the player’s winnings. The unclued entry in the bottom row represented “the penny-drop moment”.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation
Across
1 PENNY-IN-THE-SLOT (ONE HINTS PLENTY) *
11 APATITE TAP < in AIT + E
13 HOT TUB (BUTT + O’ + H) <
16 PINOT (TO + NIP) <
17 EMIR E + MIR
18 APOZEMS A + POZ + EMS
19 ADAR (r)ADAR
20 ISSUE IS SURE − R
21 MINUS SIM < around NU
22 SOAP TREE PROTEASE *
25 FILERS 2 meanings
26 UNRIPE (I PRUNE) *
27 ALFRESCO (CLOSE + FAR) *
30 NETES E in NETS
32 SILAS SAILS with A moved back
35 SLAP 2 meanings
36 MAGNETO MAG + NET + O
37 EACH (tak)E A CH(ance)
38 GENII GEN + II
39 SLOPED OP in SLED
40 TURACOS ACTORS * around U
Down
1 PAPAWS PA + PAWS
2 EPIPHONEMAS (ONE + MAS(s)) after (EPIPHANY − ANY)
3 NANOPARTICLE (NAN + ARTICLE) around OP
4 YITES YIKES with T (ton) for K (kilo)
5 ITEMS (co)SMETI(cs) <
6 THRAE HR in TAE
7 HOLD OFF HOLD + O’ + FF
8 STERILE (Li)STER I LE(arned)
9 LUMINESCENCE (SINCE MEN CLUE) *
10 T-CROSS TOSS around CR
12 ENSUE ENS + U(krain)E
14 TEAM 2 meanings
15 BIFURCATION IF in INCUBATOR *
23 PIE-SHOP PI + HOPES *
24 REPAPER REP + APER
26 UNREST (I’D + BAC(k) + UNREST) * = DISTURBANCE
28 LIMIT (mul)TI-MIL(lionaire) <
29 OBOIST (I BOOST) *
31 SLIP BURY with letters cycled back 9 places alphabetically
32 SPADO SP + A + DO
33 LARUM LA + RUM
34 AGGRO GR in AGO
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