2654: 14-222

Eight unclued entries are of a kind. Their unchecked letters can be rearranged to spell out ‘A DISBELIEVING GAUL COULD ACT’.

Across

1    Protecting bats utterly absorbs adult (8)

5    Kind of frightening when blowing top (6)

14    Guy ignoring both sides of family (3)

16    Endorse leaders of alternative fuel company (6)

17    Radium finally corroded two bones (5)

20    Tell of knight advancing in rank and energy (7)

22    Channel Islands and Reims manufactured helmet trimmings (7)

24    Regard cycling as threat (7)

25    Blacklegs that you shouldn’t pick? (5)

26    Masses collapse, heading to the finish (5)

31    Light stake held in both hands by Newton (7)

33    I barter bananas for hot snack (7)

37    In favour of blocking vacuously smug child (5)

38    Sons sell beer (5)

39    University dons play records belonging to us (2,4)

40    Brief tiff in Tunbridge Wells? (3)

41    Criminal of masculine aspect (10)

42    Perhaps hearing one is martial arts instructor (6)

Down

1    Compound of fish and old rice stirred over heat at first (13)

2    Curses retired Yankee coming later than expected (5)

3    Unstable, curt lad with bad temper (6)

4    Some fear a vengeful bird (5)

6    Idiot holding American airmen up is concerning (2,3,2)

 7    International business supported by anonymous islander (6)

10    Articulate student lyricist (6)

11    I react badly after a very loud sound (9)

12    Man’s posterior excited apes (13)

15    One welcoming mischievous chaos (7)

19    Husband and daughter in Pompeii developed alternative community (9)

23    Head of Academy taken in by ridiculous gender craze (7)

27    Incorporate non-flyer’s form of transport retrospectively (7)

29    Castro de-banked almost all of the stars (6)

32    Port detected in nana’s sauce (6)

34    Fashionable and extremely economical place to stay (5)

35    Fur covering middle of Asian animal (5)

36    Fool runs out of fruit (4)

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