THEME:   words and phrases for which the number 42 is significant --- a most creative idea   
GOOD ONES:     Douglas Adam's…   FORTY-TWO   
They have strings attached   APRONS   
Degree of interest?   PER CENT   
Checkered start?   CEE   
Mysterious character   RUNE   
King who died at (42)   ELVIS PRESLEY [well I guess that as close as we in the US get to royalty]   
Sun. delivery   SER      
BTW:   Scholar   SAVANT [Sadly one may be a scholar but not a savant.]      
Jazz 
title   COUNT [that's Basie, but it's not his title but his name]      
Part of an 
ano   ENERO [not used in our language, and why is "part of an" in English?]      
Honorarium   FEE [I think of it not as a fee but as an award.  I never charged a fee to speak but was given an honrorium.  But from the institutions point of view it may be a fee.]         
RATING:    
 
 
Three grins = Loved it; Two grins = Enjoyed it; One grin = A bit bland for my taste; One teardrop = Not much fun