I have a solution for 5 ac. but I can't explain it. 12 is a very obscure word which means "like Ratty" and is an anagram of 4 words minus 1 letter. 16 is an anagram of two words and the first letter of another word. For 21 you need the backwards version of another word for "cheer" and another word for "quarrelling". In 36 the magician is a fictional character. I still haven't solved 40ac. 46 is an anagram of 3 words minus 2 letters. 47 is the name of a place where a wedding took place in the New Testament plus a Latin word. 48 uses the reversed versions of a slang word for hands and a short version of referee. In 4dn the chemical firm is a well-known British one known by its initials with a Celtic word for house. 8 is an anagram of 2 short words plus an alternative word for another word. In 17 look for a different meaning of one of the key words. 32 is an anagram of 4 words minus 1 letter. 38 has an extra word so the definition is one word. Which brings us back to 44...
barretter: I have LOOSING for 40ac, though I'm not overly happy with it. "Shooting" being the def, and LOO (can) + SING (produce tinnitus) being the cryptic. Just about works, but it's not as nice as I'd like.
You're quite right about that and I think your 40ac solution is correct. I was taking tinnitus as the definition. I would never have thought of "loo" as a verb, but then again I would never have thought that a word that usually means a season could have such an improbable meaning. Quite a few totally obscure words in the grid. Still no idea of the theme. Where is the rest of the title?
I meant you were quite right about 16ac and thanks for 40ac. I can see that the six letters can be used to make ordinary and obscure words describing the "extra words and phrases" apart from one I haven't worked out yet. Possibly something to do with "Six characters in search of..."???
Thanks for the confirmation =)
Yeah, there's one I can't get too. The other five are straightforward enough (at least, as far as the listener's concerned), but for the last one I've no idea.
Ah yes, If you omit the letters we have been omitting in the course of this crossword and place the correct letter in the middle of the grid you will see the author of that drama symmetrically placed about the centre square.
Yes, saw that a minute ago! Gah, not the easiest final spot..
Any ideas on the remaining extra word? I'm assuming the justification you're missing is in 11dn, like me.