Traffic Jam
by Kegler

Nine of the Across and nine of the Down entries won’t fit until given special treatment.

Across 1 Dupe in California starting to test bath water, initially 6 Ghastly tailless parrot nearly bred 10 Ultimately attempt to, in August, fish 12 Stranger with a claim 13 Drink in chocolate 14 A tedious person's holding one drink for natives 15 Half of jury to perform system of self-defense 17 Slide downhill, risking heart 18 Nigel constructed fireplace 19 I am old, colloquially, behind plant with 6.023*(1020) atoms 21 Sings with a yodeler's first utterances 23 Friendly city in France 25 I'd returned to front of sofa 27 Domineering young man has seconds 29 Reach to pay crooked pharmacist 31 He's guarding one of Maine's borders 33 Brilliant person #1 in class 36 Morning starting to bring us hint of hellish sneak attack 37 Sow seed; man, it is bizarre 40 Drowning in ale, I skip the dance (2 wds) 41 High notes winding down 42 Fawning famous friar holding bit of raw fish 43 Audibly passes out tricks

Down 1 Desert flora beginning to complicate opening of play 2 A redundant statement is tense, no, groggy 3 Father swallowing last of the vegetable 4 Recording of “Al, Man on the Street” 5 Court initially determines building material 6 Damages about one thousand old flowers 7 Biblical character's maintaining second-rate housing 8 Smell from three kumquats 9 Stored linseed, absurdly 10 Village tradespeople initially have... 11 ...nerve; terrible czar must eventually roam 16 Fighter with money, dropping last of bundle, makes payment for a previous mistake? 20 Enjoy bite of lunch with Eisenhower 21 Stuck around a long time with pair of trousers, wanting to be in pictures 22 Leaves Al and Tipper, heartlessly 24 Search through America with time to burn 26 Charged elements of Border Patrol agency with obstruction at the outset 28 Frighten Mark with tip of lance 30 Upon reflection, sometimes oyster holds a natural wonder? 31 Asian capital one starting to offer in Hawaii 32 Gets rid of lean-tos 34 Bad lie returning with trace of venom 35 Old curtain material is half felt? 38 Tag players sit awkwardly 39 One northern lady's name

Solution