Choice Words from Serpent

Puzzle explanation

The treated across answers and words in down clues were of the form “A or B” and whichever of A or B fitted the grid or clue was used. The choices discarded from across entries were a jumble of “there is no alternative”; its acronym TINA (in Chambers) was highlighted in the grid. The slogan was often used by MARGARET THATCHER, whose name was formed by the discards from down clues.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Adjusted word Answer [discard] Explanation
Across
2   MATCHBOX MATCH + BOX
11   ROPILY (PILLORY − L) *
12   SIGNORINI [INI] (ORIGINAL SIN -A(ppea)L) *
13   VALOROUS [VAL] VAPOROUS with L for P
14   INTAGLI (counterpo)INT A GLI(ttery)
15   FLIPSIDE FIDE around SLIP *
16   ROTOR SHIP [ROT] RECTORSHIP with O for EC
18   PROTO-ORE [E] PRO + (E + ROOT) <
20   TWINGE GET * around WIN(d)
21   TORRIDER [T] RIDE in TORR
23   AORTITIS [A] OARS * around (IT < + IT <)
25   EONISM (IS ONE + M) *
27   SHORTHORN [SH] SHORT + HORN
31   RESTORE [E] TORE after RES
32   OUTER EAR (V)O(l)U(n)T(e)E(r) + REAR
33   UPSTART START-UP with parts switched
34   ASSORTER [TER] (RETROS + SA) <
35   ENORMOUS [EN] DORMOUS(e) with (d)EN for D(en)
36   PEDDLE DD in PELÉ
37   IDEALESS I + DEALS around ES
Down
1 imp(or T) PROFIT (T + IMP with FOR for M) <
3 (H or) ace APSIS PSIS after A
4   TIMPANI PAN in (TI + MI)
5   CLASP CLAPS with S(wan) moved up
6   BIND OVER BIN + DOVER
7 (GREC or) Oman OCTET C in (O(man) + (wres)T(ling) (g)E(t) (flat)T(ened))
8   SIGHED homophone of SIDE
9 (T or) us UGLINESS US around SINGLE *
10 rep (or TER) SNIPER (REP + IS) < around N
17 Pan (or AMA) SWINE-POX SWEEP with IN for E + O + X
19 And (or RA) RECOURSE (SECURE + OR) *
22   INTRUDE I + TURNED *
23   THRUMS THRU + MS
24   TISSUE T + IS + SUE
26   MORSEL MOREL around S(weetness)
28   HOARD homophone of HORDE
29   NEWEL (someo)NE WEL(come)
30 (H or) rid READS (d)READS
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