Graven Image by Phi

Puzzle explanation

The three regions in the grid were side-by-side blocks of four columns. For the leftmost 4×12 rectangle the alteration was word reversal; in the middle it was adding a letter to a word; in the rightmost it was removing a letter. The entries that had the “wrong” alteration applied were 23dn NIGHT + K = KNIGHT, 28dn DEARTH − R = DEATH and 9dn LIVED reversed = DEVIL, referring to the engraving Knight, Death and the Devil by Albrecht Dürer, whose name was traced in knight’s moves.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Modified word Answer Explanation
Across
1   MART MAT around (Ma)R(ch)
5   PARPEN PEN around ARP
10 Dog → God SPIRAL LAR < after SPI(n)
11 M+embers TOETOE TOE + TOE
12 aril → lira OLD DEAR L in (ODD + EAR)
13 C+ask STUB TUB after S
15   SEHRI HE’S < + R + I
16 yaps → spay CABILDO C(onfer) + A + LIB < + DO(g)
17   CABA C + ABA
19 S+tart PUTRID PUT + RID(e)
22 dray → yard REEKIE REE + KIE(r)
26 part → trap AGENT A + GET around N
27   EDUCED ED around DUCE
29   IN ON NO in IN
31   AGAR A + GAR
32   TACTIC TIC-TAC with halves switched
33 now → won EIGHTY WEIGHTY − W; ref. Around the World in Eighty Days
34 B+It ATHENE ATE around HEN
35 Deb → Bed SCOTERS (COT + ER) in SS
36 are+A HYDE (wealt)HY DE(velopers)
Down
2 Reviled → Deliver RIDABLE RID + (t)ABLE
3 cod → doc ARD-RIS ARIS(e) around DR
4   MARL MAIL with R for I
5   PAN NAP <
6 Crow+D ROSE-CUT ROUT around SEC
7 p(r)awn PET-SAT (TASTE + P) <
8 Hea(r)d NO-BRAINER NOB + (t)RAINER
9   LIVED V in LIED
10   RECCOS CO in RECS
11   ROOP (O + O) in RP
14 Evil → Live PAREGORIC (ARE + GO) in PRIC(e)
18 Chum+P NITRATE NIT + RATE
20   FRICHTED FATED with RICH for A
21 bo(m)b DEDUCE DUC(k) in DEE
23   NIGHT THIN < around G
24 v+O+ice ESSAY ES + SAY
25   PAUNCHY PAY around (l)UNCH
26   SEDNA (surpri)SED NA(SA)
28   DEARTH D + EARTH
30   EAS EAS(e)
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