By George by Enigmatist

Puzzle explanation

The extra letters in wordplay spelt out “Bottom actor, Yorkshire city, pronoun, period of time, nasal consonant”, clues for selecting letters from the upper two-letter cells to spell ADE (Edmondson), LEEDS, HE, ERA, N (not the other letters, which spelt red herrings RIK (Mayall), RIPON, IT, AGE, M); these could be respaced to form ADELE, ED SHEERAN. The contents of the lower multiletter cells were (CO/VID, ADD, VING/T-UN, KISS, PO/NY, OVER, YEARS/WAR and TURN/RATE), producing in the bottom row “(19 + 21) × 25 ÷ 30 =”, ie the titles of the first four studio albums by Adele and Ed Sheeran, alternating. For Sheeran’s third album, “∕” was not accepted as an alternative to the correct title, “÷”. The result of the calculation was 33⅓, the “turn rate” (in rpm) of an LP. The puzzle’s title referred to George Harrison’s solo album Thirty Three & ⅓, which was his age during its recording as well as the record speed.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation [extra letter]
Across
1 KOKER KER[B] around OK
4 SONSHIP SO[O]N + S(ettle) + HIP
9 EAGRES RES[T] after GAE <
12 HIT IT HIT[T]IT(e)
14 GITANO G[O] + (INTO A) *
16 IDIOCIES IDIO[M] + CITES − T
17 RUG (fo)R [A]UG(ust)
18 MUSO MUS[C]OVITE − VITE
20 CODONS DON in CO[T]S
21 EN BEAU B[O]NE < + EAU
22 MERLES MALES with ER[R] for A
23 EGGERS (EG + S) around GRE[Y] *
25 SWADDY SWAY around [O]DD
27 KISS ASS KI[R]S + SASS
29 SERRATE S[K]ATE around ERR
31 COELIAC (ELIA + C) after ’CO[S]
35 UPWARD TURN (([H]ARD PUT) * + URN) around W
38 AVIDINS ADMINISTRAT[I]VE * − MATTER *
39 MAN-YEARS MANY [R]EARS
40 MESA SE[E]M < + A
42 RIN (histo)RI[C] N(owadays)
43 CONVOY COY around V[I]NO <
45 ENGAOL [T]ANGELO *
46 INISLE I + (EL[Y] + SIN) <
47 STAVING ST + [P]AVING
48 TUNSTALL TU[R]NS + TALL
49 BEER BEE + [O]R
Down
1 KHIMARS (K + H + MARS) around I[N]
2 OIDIUM SO − S + I + [O]DIUM
3 KETOSE (SEEK O[U]T) *
4 STIE S(pat)E around TI[N]
5 NARDOO RD in NA[P]OO
6 STUNS’LS NUTS < + L[E]SS *
7 HIGGLES GLE(e) in (H + [R]IGS)
8 PIET IE in P[I]T
9 EATING EG[O] around (AT + IN)
10 ENDEAR ENDE[D] + A + R
11 SOMNUS MO[O]N * in SUS
13 PESOS (ty)PES O[F] S(pecie)
15 ALBEE BE in [T]ALE
19 ORLY (g)OR[I]LY
20 CECA (ACE + [M]C) <
24 GAP YEARS GAP[E] + (A + R) in YES
26 ADDLING A[N]D + IDLING − I
27 KISS-CURLS (IS + [A]S + CUR + L) in K(ennel)S
28 APOMICT ACT around (POM + I[S])
29 SWARM [A]S + WARM
30 RATEPAYER RATE + P[L]AYER
31 COAXES (CO + SEX <) around [C]A
32 EVIDENT (I D[O]) in EVENT
33 INCAVING (CA[N] + VIN) in GIN *
34 NYANZA ([S]TANZA − T) around NY
35 UNCOVER UNCO + [O]VER
36 DEVISE DE[N]E around VIS
37 TURNSOLE N[A]TURE * around SOL
41 JOTUN JOT + [N]UN
44 OIL [T]OIL
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