Mystery Word

In this puzzle each of the seven unclued entries is a phrase defining a word. The definitions may be oblique. Each of the seven answers, when apprehended as we intend, will yield a letter. Those seven letters can be arranged to spell our Mystery Word, which may be entered on the blanks below the grid. Clue answers include nine proper nouns; 38 Across is uncommon, 6 Down is a variant form, and 31 Down is archaic.

The instructions above are for this month's puzzle only. See a complete introduction to clue-solving.

See the solution to last month's Puzzler.

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Across
1. (4,3)
8. A little life and energy in a dress (6)
13. Not even affected by narcotics after the first (6)
14. Small closed room with great shower (5)
15. (3,4)
16. One getting kicks with jokes, ultimately? (7)
18. (5,2)
20. Enjoy a banquet, adopting a girl's name (5)
21. Employing speech, take part in a revolution with Jaeger's kin (4)
23. Colored foil material spread for drying (6)
25. (4,3)
28. Suffer after bad back, a little bit (6)
29. Hooker in a musical of Gershwin getting married (4)
30. Chum stripped before the Spanish dances (5)
33. (4,3)
35. Sailors at last in the raw (7)
37. (4,3)
38. Norm, for example, returned to get plastered? (5)
39. Mercenary grabs one of some vessels (6)
40. English author's grave mentioned (6)
41. (3,4)

Down
1. Drunk beaten while clutching Old Testament (8)
2. Chopper changing its front rotating mechanism (7)
3.Alien probe badly failing to admit intervention (10)
4.Reversing track, immobilize English highwayman (6)
5.Feudal lord's retainer is carrying a strange article around (7)
6.Middle Easterner was in a hurry, splitting Roman couple (5)
7.Uncle occupies network bars (4)
8.American soldier in Britain, thanks to radical trouble-maker (8)
9.Urged and pleaded after the start (5)
10. New issue of a book torn, with messy rip in it (7)
11. Scottish peak, in land on a bight (5)
12. Name for a guy in a whirl, so we hear (5)
17. Want beer, or nuts floating (10)
19. Very unhappy about soft drinks (5)
22. Make a monarch upset Nero, then (8)
24. Dumbbell he located in Delaware advertisements (8)
25. Praise falsely and with less gloss (7)
26. Lunatic pursued and seized (7)
27. Lug gems secretly? (7)
29. Bargain inside is for models (6)
30. High bird's wails (5)
31. Around noon, Utah jockeys lose a derby? (5)
32. U.S. Open champ when turning five (5)
34. Picasso beginning to paint a blue lake orange (5)
36. Catcher hit after top of third (4)