DAMOCLES spent an uncomfortable time with his head directly below a blade supported only by a hair (which might have been any one of STRIGA, BRISTLE, CILIUM, TRAGUS, PILUS or VILLUS, as indicated by the initial letters of the redundant words in the clues).
ACROSS
1 DEME; E Med (rev.); South
4 TUBERS; r in tubes; transistor
8 APISH; a pish!; readily
9 PLOAT; a in plot; Irish
12 DE NOVO; D + 0 v one (all rev.); gardener
13 DAIS; I in das(h); agitator’s
14 ON-SCREEN; on screen; book
16 CAULS; L in caus(e); reservoir
19 BARI; bari(tone); Italian
20 IPPON; P in I P on; severe
26 THREE; RE in the; traduces
28 ANEW; A new(t); Latin
31 AT SEA; Englishman
32 COARSELY; C oars Ely; calculating
35 AGON; go in a n; independence
36 CAKING; ca. King; Left-wing
39 MICOS; mic(e) OS; immeasurably
40 GLAUR; L in gaur; upset
41 ANANAS; cf. Bananas; Mexican
42 LOLL; 0 in l l l; tasteless
DOWN
1 DADDOCK; a ‘d ‘d in dock; Resilience
4 THY; th(e)y; acted
7 STASHING; ash in sting; gory
9 PHOENICIA; anag. + CIA; Unlooked-for
10 INSULAR; insul(t) a R; surely
11 MANA; man a; prompting
15 NARD; dran(k) (rev.); ineffable
17 LIME; hidden; leaf
18 SHOE-LACES; ‘s + anag; useless
21 PLAT; Talp(a) (rev.); spoiled
22 PERSEID; perse I’ d; visible
23 STALAGMA; Stalag ma(ss); infiltrate
25 SEEL; see L; lacklustre
27 DAY-GIRL; rig (rev.) in anag; luridly
30 ECOD; anag; Uncrackable
38 UGS; (b)ugs; spy
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