Unknown Quantity by Opsimath

Puzzle explanation

The extra letters in wordplay spelt out “Bob Dylan; shade nine cells showing last line”. The answers clued by wordplay only were the items following “how many” in Dylan’s song Blowin’ in the Wind, given in order of their appearance in the lyrics. The highlighted central square contained THE ANSWER “blowing” (collapsing etc) between the two parts of the split entry WHIRLBLAST (a wind).

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation [extra letter]
Across
1 ROADS RADS around O(steoma)
5 OXIDISES [B]OX + (SIDES I) *
11 STUNNINGLY ((I)NSULTING (T)[O]NY) *
12 ISOBATHS (HIS AB[B]OTS) *
13 SEAS SAS around E(thiopia)
14 TIMES TIM + E + S(angria)
15 GROTTO GR + OTT + [D]O
16 CAPIAS (CIA PA[Y]S) *
18 SEE SEE[L]
19 ROT ROT[A]
20 HERL (s)HE(a)R(i)[N](g ho)L(d)
22 WHIRLBLAST WHIR + L + B + LAST
25 ERA [S]ERAI − I
28 CAWS CAS[H] around W
31 RUM [A]RUM
33 NOR NOR[D]
34 STARCH STAR[E] + CH
35 DATURA DATA around UR[N]
36 YEARS (Goodb)YE ARS(enal)
38 EARS EA + R + S
39 BUCCINAS (S[I]AN + I/C + CUB) <
40 ASPERITIES I in (ASP + [N]ERITES)
41 THIRSTY TH[E]IR + STY
42 DEATHS (HE’D SAT) *
Down
1 REITER RE[C]ITER
2 OSSI (d)OSSI[E](r)
3 AROMATIC ROMANTICA[L] * − N
4 STASIS STASI + [L](oyalist)S’
5 OUTGATE [S]OUTHGATE − H
6 INSOLE LIONES[S] *
7 DISTURB BRUT < after DIS[H]
8 INSTALLER (IS N[O]) * + TALLER
9 ELANETS (LEAN [W]EST) *
10 SYSTEM (aposta)SY [I]S TEM(porary)
17 PURCHASER (CHUR[N] + SPARE) *
21 CARCANET CAR + CAN + [G]ET
23 HOOP-ASH [L]OOP in HASH
24 LASTERS LAST + E[A]RS
26 ANTACID [S]ANTA + CID
27 ON HEAT (ONE THA[T]) *
29 WOUBIT WOU[L](d) BIT(e)
30 JAYCEE JAY + C[I]E + E
32 MISSES MISSPE[N]DS − P − D
37 RACH R[E] + A + CH
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