loglog by Botox

Puzzle explanation

The outer letters of extra words in clues (the last then the first for each word) spelt out “read grey cells; symbolise these one way, whites another”. The cells shaded grey initially contained “Morse”; replacing the uncircled cells’ contents with a dash for the grey ones and a dot for white gave LAST BUS in Morse code. The first Inspector Morse novel, published in January 1975, was Last Bus to Woodstock, thus the dedication TO WOODSTOCK was entered below the grid. The clashing letters in circled cells formed ZEE (Z), CHICKEN SCRATCH, PLING (!), SCREAMER (!) and QUERY (?), all symbols used in speech bubbles by the Peanuts character Woodstock, who last appeared in the printed comic strip on 16 January 2000. For the chicken scratch cells, any squiggles that didn’t look like a meaningful symbol or image were accepted. The asterisked cells contained the surname of Bill MELENDEZ, who voiced Woodstock in animations. The puzzle’s title cryptically indicated WOOD + STOCK as two synonyms for “log”.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra word Answer Explanation
Across
1 Editor IMPROBABILITY IMPROBITY around (A + BIL(l))
10 drama NIUE (IN EU) *
11 rutting PLEONASTE ANTELOPES *
14 Yachtie LARGE IT L’ARGENT with I for N
15 esoteric LANDSCAPED LANDS + CAP + ED
17 label COSETS COS(s)ETS
19 sees STAN STAN(d)
20 melancholy CAT-SIT STAC(k) < + (w)IT(h)
21 Oddjob ONUS (B)ON(d) + US
22 ideal MAIN ROADS Spoonerism of RAIN MODES
24 Etna’s ERUPT PURE < + (abou)T
25 hot GENDER EDEN * in GR; ref. 26ac
26 square EDEN SWEDEN − (S + W)
27 oversize SEED FERNS DEE < after (eon)S + R in FENS
Down
2 Even MIASMS AIM < + SMS
3 Arrow PURPRESTURE REST in PURPURE
4 whiskey REGLET LET after (R + EG)
5   BLINTZE (BLITZ + E) around (lemo)N
  TESTATE TEST + TEA *
6   BORSCHT BORT around SCH
  SCRATTLING S(erved) C(old) + RATTLING
7 Irish INSCIENT (INCITES + N) *
8 endmost ISOPLETH (c)LOTHES-PI(n) *
9 attracts YELDRING YELD + RING
11   PEA-CHICKS (PICK + S) around EACH
  ENSTAMPS E,N,S + TAMPS
12   AGASP AGA + SP
  SLINGSTONE LIVINGSTONE − VI after S
13   THE SCREAM TEACHERS * + M
  MERMAIDEN (MAD ERMINE) *
14   LACQUER (b)LAC(k) + QU(e)ER
  CYCLONE C + Y + CLONE
16 on DOCKSIDE homophone of DOCS EYED
18 hint OWNED ((hid)DEN WO(rds)) <
23 Ride REF RE + F
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