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5d: bishop in a jacket (4) or could be (3) as some answers have an empty cell.
I have B??T
Also, definition might have a letter change...

Jogamel, B for bishop and "in a" = at. Change a letter for the definition.

Thank you Orson

Having slept on this I see my 12a is missing.
Cause excitement to goddess holding important date (7)
Same rules apply, as previous appeal...
I have ??E?ATE
Goddess ATE? Important date?????

Era...this has an extra letter

Thank you Muraria

You're welcome Jogamel

For 40ac the wordplay suggests a plural form of ????AS ( are = a, s = special). Chambers does not give a plural but since it is a Latin word it should end in AE. Sadly final letter is unchecked.
[I am reluctant to take issue with a puzzle-master like Schadenfreude!!]

martianalien, I think that AS at the end for a plural here is all right. After all, we say arenas rather than arenae.

Yes, thanks Orson.
Perhaps you could help clarify a couple of clues for me.
16dn Regional vegetable store with space for STALE hard liquor (6)
I have the answer ???EN, where space = EN and the definition is hard/strong liquor. But word is (obs) = STALE!!! OK, answered my own query.
[In Chambers the answer is referred to ?????-mogen, which in my 13th Edition does not exist.]
20dn Vagrant stumbles changing hands, revealing trousers(9).
My wordplay is an anagram of stumbRes where L becomes R.
So why Vagrant? I thought it referred to the first 3 letters = BUM, but is redundant. No! vagrant = anagram!!

I now have the Phrase and need to fill those empty cells.
Thanks, Schadenfreude.
A lovely challenge which has kept me occupied - the Listener Bobs by Nud was very straightforward this week.