Right and Left by Ploy

Puzzle explanation

The initials of words moved in clues spelt “a door; F and S”, referring to the Flanders & Swann song Misalliance, the love story of a honeysuckle and a bindweed that corkscrew in opposite directions on either side of a door. Extra words in clues were synonyms of “wind”, “owl”, “edge”, to form WINDOW LEDGE at the top of the grid. The gaps in the lines through HONEYSUCKLE and AND BINDWEED showed where each “spiralling” vine passed behind a vertical support.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Moved / (extra) word Answer Explanation
Across
4 Against → after not LONGER LONGERON − ON
  EDICTS EDIT around C + S
7   SMETANA M(isallianc)E in ST + ANA
(wiseacre = OWL) OAK TREE (subzer)O + AK + (s)TREE(t)
8   CARATS CARS around AT
  WANTON homophone of ONE + TON
9   DETECT DECTET with last two letters moved earlier
  UNRENT RENT after UN
10 dying → after people ESTATES INTESTATES − INT
  ONE-SHOT ON + THOSE *
12   SEI (v)I(d)E(o)S <
  SPY P(ossibl)Y after S
15 old → before coins ABDUCTS (DUCATS − À) after AB
  SEMINAL (ISLE MAN) *
16 (Burp = WIND) NEONATE (fi)NE ON A TE(at)
  DOOBRIE (O + OR I’D BE) *
17   IOTA (TAILOR − L − R) *
opening → after lift ONLY (n)YLON *
18 race → after Old À BAS SABA <
  ODDS O’ + DS around D
Down
1 Figure → before in DOS-À-DOS SADDO * + SO <
  ÉVOLUÉS (USE LOVE) *
2   GO-KART GO + KA + RT
  IDEATE DEA in (s)ITE
3 are → after Ten ENTREAT TEN with first letter moved down + ARE with first letter moved down + T’
(border = EDGE) WITNESS WITLESS with (va)N for L
5   CATCH A CRAB (CAT + BARCA <) around CH
  GRANT-IN-AID (GIANT DRAIN) *
6   RESISTLESS IS in RESTLESS
  SANITISERS SISTERS * around (AN + I)
11   OPTIMA OP + T + (AM + I) <
nearly → before all ELATED (TEA + DEL(i)) *
13   PEEOY PEE + OY
dark → before brownish EBONY (ONE BY) *
14   Y-MOTH (Februar)Y + MONTH − N
  IDOLA (I’ + O + LAD) *
15 small → before Individual SNIP S(uffer) N(erves) I(n) P(ersonal)
  ADOS SODA <
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