Surprise by Alberich

Puzzle explanation

See below for the clue answers and extra words. The initial letters of these extra words, in clue order, gave “A turn-up for the books” (also suggested by the title). Abbreviations for Biblical books in down answers were therefore to be inverted. These were as follows:

No Book Abbreviation
1 Exodus EX
11 Genesis GEN
12 Hosea HOS
14 Timothy TIM
15 Psalms PS
16 Ephesians EPH
17 Colossians COL
19 Leviticus LEV
21 Deuteronomy DEUT
24 Samuel SAM
26 Daniel DAN
27 Numbers NUM
29 Corinthians COR
31 Philippians PHIL
33 Hebrews HEB
34 Malachi MAL
35 Micah MIC
36 Isaiah IS

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Extra word Explanation
ACROSS
1 ENSHEATHES Assistant N + SHE in (A SHEET)*
11 COCONUT troublesome CO + NUT around CO
12 PIQUE uninitiates homophone (PEAK)
14 STELLATE rock SET* around TELL + A
15 TAXMEN never NET < around (A + XM); ref Inland Revenue
16 DEMO Union D + first letters of European, Mull, Over
17 AGES puzzle AGNES – N
19 MICRON fluid CONFIRM* – F
21 EMENDATE old EME + N(ag) + DATE
24 EFFLUENT radiology (F(rom) + FLUE) in ENT
26 RINSES traumatic RISES about N; shock = hair
27 LAMÉ horsehair Two definitions, one for LAME
29 HONE Enthusiatically HOE around (reaso)N
31 BRASSY buffs’ ASS in (B + RY); ref golf club
33 CAPSIZES oddly CAPS around SIZE
34 MUZAK outfit MAK around UZ(i)
35 THIEVED keepsake (THE VIDEO)* – O
36 TREASURERS slump REAS(s)URE in (TR + S(piral))
Down
2 ANNEX   ANNE + X
3 HUGENESS   (HUG + NESS) around E(lizabeth)
4 HOST   HOLST – L; definition suggests “a great multitude”
5 STATIM   STATE – E + I + M
6 TOPSIDES   TOP + (Football) SIDES
7 EPHA   PH in EA
8 NICOLA   NICOL + A
9 LEVERET   CLEVER – C + ET
10 DEUTOPLASM   (PUTS A MODEL)*
13 PASSAMEZZO   PASS + A MEZZO
18 INUNDANT   (TUNDRA – R + IN + N)*
20 NUMERATE   (U + MEN)* + RATE
22 ALCORAN   AL + CO + RAN
23 -PHILUS   PLUS around HI
25 EPHEBE   Second letter in Metamorphoses + PHOEBE – O
28 MAL VU   (VALIUM – I)*
30 MICA   hidden
32 ISIS   IS < in IS
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