Definitions in nineteen clues are unreliable. In each of ten there is a superfluous letter, and from each of the other nine a letter is missing. Superfluous and missing letters, taken in clue order, spell four words of a quotation (in ODQ) by 9 (two words). The quotation’s next word is an unclued light which defines the remaining unclued lights, one of which is hyphened.
Across
1 Dog beat back a silent person (8)
6 Bandy problem about with job unfinished (6)
12 Stripping paint, duo worked without pressure in home (10)
14 Boar stumped by wheat (7)
15 Visitor, not good, in force only duke challenged (10)
16 Con men concocted terrors (7)
22 Rocket’s loop in air, completely round (7)
23 Hal left and reflected as well (4)
26 Popular knight, one in retreat, losing tons? Oodles (7)
30 Tea in endless range (4)
31 Greene novel’s ending with a fellow following church (7)
34 Rev second of motors after absolute hush (4, two words)
36 Exercises horse, skirting around crustacean (7, hyphened)
38 Spy screen afresh, apprehending new planet (10)
40 Season yielding first buy (5)
41 Inspector, vexed about date with communist, in a swelter (10)
42 Nice resolution to embrace moment in retirement (6)
43 Logo, as in broadcast, of equal angles (8)
Down
2 Parallel anecdotes about securing record (8)
4 Takes grass from fellow after wrong turn in America (7)
5 Swell costumes celebrity owns (7)
6 Dull? Take pint (6)
7 Trouble so grim for fabulous bird (6)
10 Placed more rocks by mineral (13, hyphened)
11 Vile boors bothered cooks excessively (9)
17 Thanks unknown scout? (3)
18 Fees grasping lecturer cashes (5)
25 Sacrificer’s dreading rescue...
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