Joint Submission by Mozart

Puzzle explanation

The answers to the five wordplay-only clues were twins, replaced in the grid by their twin: 16ac Romulus → Remus, 21ac Jacob → Esau, 41ac Pollux → Castor, 1dn Neleus → Pelias, 31dn Freyja → Freyr. Swapping E/I and N/T in column 10 formed SIAMESE TWINS and the conjoined twins CHANG and ENG (Bunker), whose birth in Siam gave rise to the term. After drawing (most of) the bars between entries, the symmetrically opposite entry was CO-DEPENDANTS.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation
Across
42 ISN’T N in LIST − L
1 PACE P + ACE
41 POLLUX POLL + UX
6 TISSUE AT ISSUE − A
40 ANTAS MANTAS − M
11 ERODE ROD in EE
12 BANTENG TEN in BANG
39 IN-TRAYS (T(he)S(e h)A(nd)Y (co)N(ta)I(ne)R(s)) *
13 LAD LEAD − E
38 IRE (a)IRE(d)
14 FLOWERAGE (o)F LOWER AGE
37 MENAGERIE (R + IE) after (MEN + AGE)
35 RUNAWAY A in RUNWAY
15 IBERIAN BERIA in IN
34 AGAST AGAS + (for)T
16 ROMULUS ROM + ZULUS − Z
32 BOONS (S + NOB) < around (stilett)O
17 SPEAR SPAR around E
20 SKEAN-DHU ((Bogard)E + KN + HAD US) *
26 CHANGING C + HANGING
21 JACOB JOB around AC
23 ULNA (U(ses) N(earby) L(ever)) * + A
Down
1 NELEUS (tun)NEL EUS(ton)
28 GAYEST YES in GAT
33 SARAN A(cto)R in SAN
2 ARABS BARA < + S
36 WITS W + IT + S
3 CODE DE after CO
4 RELIANCE (R + N + CE) around ELIA
19 JUNONIAN (A NUN JOIN(s)) *
5 ABOARD (A, B, C, D) with OAR for third letter
27 ABURST AB + UT around R(ower)S
6 TAWNY WANT * + (Am)Y
31 FREYJA FAERY * around J
25 ASSART (A + S + ART) around S
7 STRENE (fore)ST RENE(wal)
8 SEAME SEAMEN − N
30 DANTS STAND *
9 UNGULA (ALU + GNU) <
24 LAGENA (’N’ + G + ALE) * + À
29 GAMIC MAGIC with MAG <
10 EGEST GESTE with last letter moved to the front
22 SIN 2 meanings
18 PEN 2 meanings
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