This week's puzzle by Panda is one which Gregson suspects will cause a lot of divided opinion among solvers. Gregson remains unconvinced that the clue style and thematic finale were really brought together successfully by a rather opaque preamble.
The unclued entry at 5 Down is HYBRIDISATION. All clues are hybrids in that they comprise wordplay for the associated grid entry plus a definition for the diametrically opposite entry. Chambers offers one definition of HYBRID as "a word formed from elements from different languages".
Eight of the unclued entries have hidden definitions dispersed throughout the clues as follows (and highlighted in bold in the explanations).
NUFF sufficient
SNAGS sausages
SIRE father
SERIN finch
FAGIN fence
SAGES wise old men
REFINER petroleum company
GENTLES maggots
Each of these can be formed from the single or double letter symbols of chemical elements found in the words "DIFFERENT LANGUAGES" - I, F, Fe, Er, Re, N, Tl, La, U, Ag, Ge, Es, S. The ninth and final unclued grid entry was to be generated in the same way, selecting FEERINS as the only possible valid entry from FEARING, FEERING and FEERINS. Gregson fears that many solvers (about a third!) will have guessed the right answer without really understanding why.
ACROSS
1 What are unobtainable? Sufficient cash flows without ID number (7)
SPINACH (anag of CASH round PIN (ID number))
6 Switch on society's foremost buffoons (6)
STRESS (S (society) + TRESS (switch))
10 In the centre of Aberdeen nuisances went astray once (5)
ENNUI (hidden)
12 Extract of beef sausages prepared at rear (6)
ERRATA (anag of AT REAR)
14 Chaplain to the Forces embracing the French press (4)
CLEF (CF (Chaplain to the Forces) round LE (the French))
16 Holds back action with hubris possibly involved - hard to go (9)
DEBRUISED (DEED (action) round anag of HUBRIS minus H (hard))
18 Stick old bow where head's come off (3)
OUT (LOUT (old bow) minus first letter)
21 Bishop's on record as a slave at one time (4)
BEER (B (bishop) + EER (on record - ever))
22 Gypsies alight tube carrying liquid with cover included (8)
INVALIDS (IN (alight) + VAS (tube carrying liquid) round LID (cover))
24 Father left daughter going from disco in good spirits (5)
LANCE (L (left) + DANCE (disco) minus D (daughter))
30 Fling no longer used English into fascicle (5)
PEART (PART (fascicle) round E (English))
31 Unfit servicemen dispatched back without a signature first (8)
TSIGANES (SENT (dispatched) rev round SIG (signature) + A)
33 A pillowcase seen in a mess (4)
ESNE (anag of SEEN)
36 Finch? He leaves dip at a loss (3)
BAT (BATHE (dip) minus HE)
40 Covered by a charge? Reserve fund managed about one loss finally (9)
ESTRAINS (REST (reserve fund) + RAN (managed) round I (one) + S (last letter
of loss))
42 Character on staff? One starting to rehearse playing (4)
IRON (I (one) + R (first letter of rehearse) + ON (playing))
43 Mistakes remain on a grand scale (6)
LIEBIG (LIE (remain) + BIG (on a grand scale))
44 Bore arrived at a conclusion, without information (5)
ERRED (INFERRED (arrived at a conclusion) minus INF (information))
45 Legal distraint against tear gas (6)
ANTICS (ANTI (against) + CS (tear gas))
46 Estatesmen clearing rubbish could produce this veg (7)
NEMESES (anag of ESTATESMEN minus TAT (rubbish))
DOWN
1 Wise old men extremely sensitive about Crown Office minds (5)
SECCO (SE (first and letters of sensitive) + C (about) + CO (Crown Office))
2 Club mosses in clipped tree, untidy (5)
INERT (IN + anag of TREE minus last letter)
4 Brood starts to chomp maggots unusually early (3)
CUE (first letters of cue unusually early)
5 See preamble (13)
HYBRIDISATION
7 Like a spirit? There's time before round (7)
TRUNDLE (T (time) + RUNDLE (round))
8 Where to talk? Senate's awful deserted (7, two words)
EAST END (anag of SENATE + D (deserted))
9 A big mug jested about dropping judge (5)
STEDE (anag of JESTED minus J (judge))
11 Silly people, mostly possibly evil - I would appear on top (5)
IDEAL (ID ( I would) + EALE (evil) minus last letter)
13 Decorate with gems before diamonds then finish (7)
ADDRESS (A (before - ante) + D (diamonds) + DRESS (finish))
15 A long rope wrapped around old skinflint (6)
LOUNGE (LUNGE (long rope) round O (old))
19 Fellow on Arabian headland (3)
FAR (F (fellow) + AR (Arabian))
20 Drag soldier by feet (4)
GIFT (GI (soldier) + FT (feet))
22 Quiet lord? I am first to talk to (7)
IMPEARL (IM (I am) + P (quiet) + EARL (lord))
23 Petroleum company drinks up what's bestowed by nature (4)
SNIG (GINS (drinks) rev)
25 Idle firm conceals a pile (6)
CHEAPO (CO (firm) round HEAP (pile))
26 Where the sun comes up over city - hot, as well as regular (7)
HANDSET (H (hot) + AND (as well as) + SET (regular))
28 Heretic reels out old spin (7)
ETHERIC (anag of HERETIC)
29 Advanced old academician on conclusion of thesis (3)
RAS (RA (academician) + S (last letter of thesis))
32 Perfect! The last two of these suit each other upfront (5)
GEESE (GEE (suit each other) + SE (last two letters of these))
34 One in ten under special circumstances once (5)
STEIN (S (special) + TEN round I (one))
36 Lacking power changing direction, vehicle runs right into that
fence (5)
BURRS (BUS (vehicle) round R (runs) + R (right))
37 The finale is plain (5)
TENDS (T (the) + END (finale) + S (is))
41 What shows up in Huxley novels? A sign to go (3)
NYE (hidden rev)