Fast and Loose by Ifor

Puzzle explanation

Outer letters of the extra words in down clues spelt “erase some letters from grid” and “reorder to single words”. The extra phrases in across clues were anagrams of “acephalous”, “subjacent” and “apteral” (headless, bottomless, without side columns), so all perimeter letters were removed from the grid. PROMETHEUS in the diagonal was “bound” by the perimeter in the original grid, and “unbound” in the final grid, referring to the plays Prometheus Bound and Prometheus Unbound, by Aeschylus.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra phrase or word Answer Explanation [extra letter]
Across
1   DIVERSIONARY VERSION in DIARY
9   ABORE AB- + ORE
10 late par (apteral) CROSSE CROSS + (oppon)E(nt)
13   EVOVAE (EVOLVE − L + A) *
14   EARD (laddi)E + ARD
15 abject Sun (subjacent) RECEDED CREED * + ED
16   AMEERS ÂMES around ER
17 can be just (subjacent) SHADER SHARED *; loads = mixes with white
20 casual hope (acephalous) EVERY E(nterprise) + VERY
22   EVITA (NEGATIVE − NEG) <
27 has a couple (acephalous) THERMS H in TERMS
30   WASTEL WASTELAND − AND
31   CAROUSE C + AROUSE
32   IONA DIVERSIONARY − DIVERS − RY; ref. 1ac
34   PIECEN (IE + C) in PEN
35 pearl at (apteral) OPALED PALE in DO <
36   RAKEE (WEAKER − W) *
37   CONGRATULATE (GO + A RELUCTANT) *
Down
1 Either DARE D + ARE
2 areas I-BEAMS IB + SAME *
3 enamels ERODENT ((s)OD(a) + (c)ENTRE(s)) *
4 Optimum REVERT EVER in RT
5 equal SPARSE SPAERS with E moved to the end
6 eggplant ORACHE (f)OR A CHE(f’s)
7 time ASUDDEN (AND SUED) *
8 reviewers YEAD DEY < around A
11 flower OLEA O + LEA
12 optimism SNEE SEEN with centre moved to the end
16 gambler ABET BET after A
18 Iliad RYAL (e)ARLY *
19 remorse SIERRAN RARE * in SIN
21 older VESICAL CA in LIVES *
23 damage AMUSER MAUSER with M moved down
24 revisit SWEIRT WRITES *
25 oats HALERU HALE + UR- <
26 imagination RENNET (N + N) in TREE *
28 gradual HARP (PAR + H(ole)) *
29 eyebrow ROLL (CHANCELLOR − CHANCE) <
31 offer CHOC C + HOC
33 docks AGEE A + GEE
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