Ahead of the Game by Apt

Puzzle explanation

One choice from the letters clashing in 12 cells spelt out “talk at length” (a definition for RABBIT) and the other choice gave “a quick plunge” (DUCK). The path tracing these definitions could be seen as the head of either animal, with the remaining I/O clash filled in to serve as the eye. There was no need to close the path by joining the lowest two clash cells (across the “neck” of the animal), but entries were not marked wrong for doing so.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation
Across
1 LIBRA BLAIR *
6 BITMAP BIT + PAM <
11 EMBOLUS MB in LOUSE *
13 IAGO (I + GO) around A
14 LOSEL L after LOSE
15 HONKED HON + KED
16 TIMED TIED around M
17 EMBLEMA (EM + EM) around BL + A
18 KOALAS KOA + A in LS
20 IDOL (exp)LODI(ng) <
21 ELFLOCKS (SOCK FELL) *
25 VALETING (V + AG) around LET IN
27 PROS PRISON * − I,N
28 OSSIAN (dr)OSS I AN(nounced)
29 UNBURNT (r)U(i)N (a) B(e)U(r)R(e) + N(oir) T(hat)
31 THANE THANE(t)
32 RESULT RES + ULT
34 OHONE PHONE with O for P
35 ETON GET ON − G
36 TRENISE ((mul)E’S INERT(ia)) <
37 XANADU X + AN + homophone of ADO
38 KEATS KEA + TS
Down
1 LEAKIER LEA(d) + KIER
2 IMPIOUS IMPI + OUS
3 ROSELLAS ROSE + ALL < + S
4 ALED A + LED
5 BULL 2 meanings
7 ISOBASES (a)I(r)S(h)O(w) B(e)A(r)S (l)E(s)S
8 TIU I in TU
9 MAKE DO MAKE + DO
10 PODAL POD + A + L(ight)
12 SHMEK SHAME − A + K
19 COVERLID CD around OLIVER *
20 OUTSHONE O(ld) U(ntrained) T(eam) S(tarted) H(oping) + ONE
22 INANEST IN A NEST
23 ANNEXES EX in ANNES; ref. Anne Boleyn and Anne of Cleves
24 HOBSON HOB’S ON
26 QANAT Q + A + NAT
27 PUREX PREX around U
30 TORC (concer)T OR C(oncert)
31 GEEK K after GEE
33 UNA UNAWARE − WARE
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