Disagreement by Stan

Puzzle explanation

Extra letters in the wordplay spelt “smallest number sum of two cubes in two ways”. Four cells, numbered 1, 9, 10 and 12, had each to accommodate two letters, CU/BE. When these numbers are combined appropriately, the two expressions 1^3 + 12^3 and 9^3 + 10^3 may be recognised as those satisfying the property of 1729 described in the quotation from a conversation between the mathematicians G. H. Hardy and Srinivasa Ramanujan. Following a taxi journey, Hardy mentioned that the number of his cab, 1729, was “dull”. Ramanujan immediately refuted this, claiming the “interesting property”. Answers to 17 and 29 were “hackney” and “cab(inet)”. Clashes on the leading diagonal were resolved and the blocked-off cells filled in to show Ramanujan in the grid. Overwritten words: 5 vernier 9 begone 11 buhl 13 Astarte 17 hackney 21 shadow 32 ahoys.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra
Letter
Answer Explanation
Across
1 S CUTLERY SCUT + R(at) in LEY
6 M ALAP A + LAMP
9 A BEGONE BE + ONEGA *
10 L CUE BALL CELL LAB * about (corp)U(scle); ref billiards & snooker
11 L BUHL HUB < in LL
12 E BEARABLE BEE + ABLE about RA
14 S SAT A in SST
16 T ON HEAT ON THE ATTACK – TACK
18 N IDLER IN + (D(efence) + R) about EL <
20 U ELANETS LEE’S AUNT *
22 M FRANC FR + MAN + C(arried); bread = currency, eg, in Switzerland
24 B RUSHER BR + USHER
27 E ARE AE + R(educe) + E(mbarrassment)
29 R CABINET (CRAB + NET) about I(reland)
30 S GAIA First letters
31 U URETER Composite anagram of PERMACULTURE using CLAMP
32 M AHOYS MAS about HOY
33 O TYRE (TO + YE) about R(elief)
34 F DRAWEE FEW DARE *
Down
1 T CUBEBS BET in CUBS
2 W TRUANTRY COUNTRY-AND-WESTERN * – ONCE END’S
3 O LOATHE (LOO + HET *) about A
4 C REBEL BE CLEAR * – A
5 U VERNIER (UNI after R(esearchers)) in VEER
6 B À BAS BABA + S(hiraz)
7 E LABEL BALL < – L + EEL
8 S PLEURA PLEASUR(e), A dropped (low)
13 I ASTARTE IE after (A + T(heology)) avout STAR
15 N PELERINE PEN + L(ead) + E(xcursions) + RINE
17 T HACKNEY HACK + NET + (pa)Y
19 W OFFCUT OWT about (FF + CU(r))
21 O SHADOW HAS * + WOOD <
23 W AMBER (BEWARE *, with (lan)E replaced by M) *
25 A KITE KATIE *
26 Y STAR Hidden
28 S EASE SEA’S + (her)E
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