Keel Over by Vismut

Puzzle explanation

The extra words in double clues were all anagrams of “ratites” (given as a noun in the Oxford Dictionary of English and Collins English Dictionary), flightless birds without a keel bone. The extra letters in other clues spelt “jumbo-sized eg; highlight 5 more”. The NW-SE diagonal was unjumbled to form ELEPHANT BIRD (a name for the aepyornis, also in the ODE and Collins) and the five ratites crossing it diagonally were highlighted: EMU, RHEA, MOA, OSTRICH, KIWI. Highlighting of the MOA just below OSTRICH instead of the one revealed by changing the diagonal was accepted.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

Extra word/(character) Answer Explanation
(J)aunts AIRBURSTS (BIRDERS AUNTS) * − END *
tastier AKEE (c)AKE E(ven)
UNIT UNIT(e)
b(U)y ALBION ALB + I + ON
(M)ale AL DENTE ALE around DENT
artiest ANT T after (A + N)
ERASES A in (ERSE + S)
(B)ut ASSIGNED SIGN in (AS + E(ni)D)
striate ATAP A + TAP
PIA (o)P(t)I(m)A(l)
G(O)ut AUTUMN TUM in UN after A
artiste BAKE (Ab)BA KE(ep)
SKYRE SKY + RE
(S)wearing DESPISE SPIES * in (D + E)
X(I) ENTENTE E + (TEN with letters cycling) twice
tertias ESCARP E(ngineer)S + CARP
NIB BIN *
(Z)one ESPOUSAL (SOUPS * + A) in EL
run(E)s GRIMMER GLIMMER with R for L
Fine(D) HIGHMAN HIGH + MAN
h(E)ad IDIOTS I’D + (O + IT’S) *
(G)ill INTRONS ROT * in (INN + (bas)S)
Iris(H) ISBEL (Ir)IS BEL(oved)
ma(I)n KING COBRA RA after (KING + COB)
Ru(G)by LEERED RED after LEE
s(H)ort LEMON L + (O + MEN) *
iratest MUTI MUTILATE − LATE
NESH HENS *
(L)aid NIDAMENTA N + AID * + MENTA(l)
ma(I)d’s PARRS SPARER * − E(at)
e(G) PERCA E in CARP *
(H)is PITIERS PIT + IE + (R + SHOE) − HOE
(T)outing SIDEMEN NEMESIS < with D for S
(5)51 SLIM SM around LI
far(M) SLOTH H after SLOT
Rome(O) TERMED TED around ROME − O
attires TON 2 meanings; ref. X×X = C in Roman numerals
WORE W + ÖRE
(R)over UNSERIOUS ROUEN’S * − O + IOUS
(E)very VOSGES V + OS + EG < + S
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