The Square Root of 576 by Leo

Puzzle explanation

Extra material in 18 clues coincided in across and down pairs to indicate nine numbers forming a magic square appearing symmetrically in the grid in the highlighted cells; see the table below. Extra letters in other clues spelt “letter count gives a second magic square”. Applying this to the full words corresponding to the numbers in the first square (eg, “twenty-five” has 10 letters) yields a second magic square whose row, column and diagonal sum is TWENTY-ONE, used to complete the grid with words. The full spelling of the title’s “five hundred and seventy-six” similarly has 24 (the square root of 576) letters.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra Letter/
Numbers		 Answer Explanation
Across
1 L ÉPÉE Two definitions (ELPEE = record)
4 E POSTHASTE POST + HAS + TEE
11 T MOAT MOT + A + T
13 T CHAUNTER CHART TUNE *
14 E REALM REAL-ALE MAN * – ALAN *
15 R TOTE Two definitions (TORTE)
16 Line on pitch [25] CASE Three definitions; [hockey]
17 Pieces of [8] SOP SO + P; [coins]
18 Roman tables [12] GAD Hidden; [Roman law]
19 C REMISS RE + MISC + S
24 O ASTARTE AS + TART + E O
25 U KHALAT UK + HAT about LA
26 company [2] TEA T + E + A; [saying: … three’s a crowd]
28 RU team [15] ALAR Alternate letters; [number of players]
31 perfect [28] ULE Hidden reversed; [second perfect number, after 6]
32 N ENIGMA MEANING * & lit
33 T AVARICE A + VAT + RICE
38 G LUGANO (GULAG + NO) *
39 majority [18] HAL HAD LATE – DATE *, ref computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey, H,A,L are letters before I,B,M; [age of majority, 18 from 1970]
41 Two little ducks [22] LED (pad)DLE *; [bingo slang: resemblance to number shape]
43 famous [5] BARD DRAB <; [Enid Blyton stories]
45 I IGBO Hidden
46 V ARABA AV + RA + BA
47 E KEEP CAVE (ACE + PEEK) < + ’VE
48 S EMEU USE ME <
49 A FRESHNESS FARES + H + NESS
50 S SCAM SS + CAM
Down
1 E EMACIATED (EME + TED) about (ACID, A for D(ope))
2 C POLARS POLICE CARS – ICE
3 square [25] ETA Two definitions, Japanese menials; [number]
4 O PAREIRA (M)oira after PARE
5 crew [8] SHA HAS *; [rowing]
6 N TALOOKA TALON + OK + À
7 D HUMPH HUM + PHD
8 Apostles [12] ANT A + NT; [New Testament]
9 M STOGY MOG in STY
10 A TETANAL ATE + TAN + A + L
12 G ASSET GAS + SET
20 Tea for [2] MAGE MA + GE; [song title]
21 Former Court of Session [15] SEAL Two definitions; [set of 15]
22 February [28] TARA Hidden; [number of days]
23 I STEEL DRUM (ELIDE + STRUM) *
27 C ENGAGER ENG + GRACE *
29 S LATERAN SLATE + RAN
30 Q RAGBAGS I from IRAQ + GB + A(s) + G(reat) + S(atan)
34 U INARM IN A RUM
35 A CORNEA ACORN + EA
36 R ALBEE AL(e) + BEER
37 E VLACH Hidden
40 adult entertainment [18] OPS Two definitions (OP’S); [age limit for screen classification]
42 catch [22] AVE Two definitions; [novel’s title]
44 high [5] YES Last letters; [sign of greeting]
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