X by Schadenfreude

Puzzle explanation

From the clues’ extra words that shared one distinct letter with the answer, the letters spelt out “cruciverbal” (X). The other extra words gave “five letters, two-word phrase in which Zs exist”. Five grid letters were changed to reveal “crossword grid”, in an L shape in unchecked cells. The square of unclued entries contained “declined the option of opening the betting”, a Chambers definition of “checked” (Y), leading to “checked square” (Z), which Chambers defines as “a square in a crossword that belongs to the solution of two clues”.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra word [single shared letter] Answer Explanation
Across
1 plu[C]ky AFFE[C]TATIONS A + EFFECT − E + ACTIONS − C
9 sailo[R] EGE[R] EAGER − A
10 o(F)f-a(I)r BEEB BEEF with B(ackfire) for F
11 a(V)oid(E)d ONION O’ + NI + ON
12 r[U]sh AIN[U] IN in AU
13 C(L)os(E)d SINSYNE (NINE + S + Y(onk)S) *
14 s(T)ablema(T)e TALPA TAP around L + A
15 v(ER)y SLAPSHOTS SNAPSHOTS with L for N
17 e(S)cor(T)s STOWAWAYS (TO + W + AWAY) in SS
21 s(W)all(O)w TELLS 2 meanings
22 [C]lini[C]al S[C]HTOOM (SCH + M) around TOO
24 s(W)imming-po(O)l BATH BAT + H
26 ocul[I]st EX[I]NE EX + IN + E
27 c(R)usa(D)e LEAN CLEAN − C
28 u(P)rig(H)t ANON CANON − C
29 [V]i[V]idly STE[V]ENGRAPHS ST + EVEN + G + SHARP *
Down
1 d[E]ck[E]d AR[E]OSYSTIL[E]S (ARE + OS + STILES) around Y
2 t(R)adesm(A)n FEEING F + IE < in ENG
3 i(S)land(E)r CLUNY CLUNKY − K
4 [R]efo[R]med TI[R]ANA TA around IRAN
5 D(I)ffide(N)t ANTI AVANTI − AV
6 s(W)art(H)y TEENTSY TENTS around E + Y
7 r(IC)h OTELLO DONATELLO with O for DONA
8 [B]oozy SU[BB]ASEMENTS (BASE + MEN + (midnigh)T) in SUB’S
16 cz[A]r L[A]S[A]GNE LA + (G in SANE)
18 gir[L] O[L]EATE ((A + T) in LEE) after O
19 s(H)malt(Z)y ACHING AG around (CHINA − A)
20 U(S)herett(E)s COIN-OP IN in CO-OP
23 e(X)hib(I)t HEWER SEWER with H for S
25 a(S)sen(T)s TWIN 2 meanings
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