X and Y by Ron

Puzzle explanation

Letters from the clues’ extra words gave:

And some of the bigger bears try to pretend That they came round the corner to look for a friend

from Lines and Squares by A. A. Milne, in which bears wait to eat “sillies” who step on lines between pavement squares. Extra letters gave “4 X, 9 Y; cut twice; align sillies”. Matching X and Y to the puzzle’s title indicated rearranging the bars from the initial grid (shown here) to make 4 lines, delineating 9 squares. Then making two horizontal cuts (shown dotted here) and sliding the central section gave an arrangement like paving-stones, with types of silly person “treading on” the lines.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra word or (character) Answer Explanation
Across
1 dAmNeDeSt BASSI BASS + I
2 filthy (4) place PIGSTY PITY around GS
3 rOoMiE PEINS SPINE *
4 lOw-FaT PATACA PAT-A-CA(ke)
5 sHlEp OPAL O + PAL
6 gateau(X) YULE LOG YU + L + EL + O’ + G(énoise)
7 aBrIdGe GALLIC (I + C) after GALL
8 foreign (9) mate AMIGO AO around MIG
9 eGrEt NYAS (SAY + N) <
10 grim(Y) HIDEOUS OUS after HIDE
11 (C)rock SCREE SCREE(d)
12 pa(U)per MISFED MI + S + FED
13 RiBbEd CHENET CHE + NET
14 ma(T) UNGOT TONGU(e) *
15 (T)high CACUMEN C + ACUMEN
16 S(W)AT EXAM EM around (X + A)
17 Cur(I)e AZOTH H after (AZOTE − E)
18 (C)rows WET BOB (T in WEB) + OB
19 At-RiSk RED-TAPE RE + APE after DT
20 TaRtY WAIL homophone of WALE
21 (E)state ASSERT A(gent) + TRESS <
22 TrOoPeRs’ LEETS STEEL *
23 bEsTrEwN FORMYL FLYMO * around R
24 be(A)ts RESTS TRESS *
Down
25 qui(L)ts APPAYS A + SAPPY *
26 DuTcHmAn CARAT CA + RAT
27 pla(I)ce COGNAC (CAN + GO + C) <
28 (G)round COGUE ROGUE with C for R
29 TeTcHiEr DIMBLE (LIB + DEM) *
30 YuCcA ETWEE E + TWEE
31 iMpEaRl FOX-BATS F + X in BOATS *
32 cOlUmNeD GALA (GAL or LAG <) + A
33 hi(N)t HARM RM after (H + A)
34 picks (S)on HAZES H + (g)AZES
35 Te-HeEd INGENER (mesmeris)ING ENER(gy)
36 par(I)ty INVITEE IN + V + I + TEE
37 eCtOcRiNe KAGOS KA + GO + S
38 nEuRaTiOn NUTTER N + UTTER
39 ha(L) ODSO OD’S + O
40 anima(L) PSYCHE (ti)PSY CHE(f)
41 aLcOhOl PURIM PRIM around U
43 sKiFf SEA LACE SEAL + ACE
44 mOoR-pAn SILLS S + ILLS
45 FuRtIvE STEMES (cha)STE MES(sages)
46 oss(I)a TALI (I)TALI(an)
47 sNiDe TAOIST OAT < + I + ST
48 (E)go TEMPT 2 meanings
49 (S)ailing UNWELL WELL after UN
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