Plain Cloth by Paddock

Puzzle explanation

Alfred Mosher Butts invented the game of Scrabble in 1931, based on his earlier word game called LEXIKO, which was formed by the extra letters in clues. The grid’s central 10×10 area contained a full set of the 98 letters and two blanks in an English-language Scrabble set. SCRABBLE was highlighted in row 6. The unclued entries included the blank tiles to form POINT-BLANK and BLANKETING, defined by the two words of the puzzle’s title. Empty cells were also accepted for the blanks, along with embellishments such as drawing the tiles’ outlines.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra letter Answer Explanation
Across
1   RESORT TROUSER < − U
5   INURNS INNS around UR
10   EXODERM EX + D in MORE *
12 B(L)ack WEEP (PEEWIT − IT) <
13 Con(I)fer DOWD DO + W(ood) D(ecorated)
15   AMID M in AID
17   ANTILOPE A + (PLOT IN) * + E
18   QUIN IN after (QUA − A)
19   GLASS-CRAB (LASS + C) in GRAB
24   EPAENETIC (TEEN * + I) in CAPE <
26   EGGY EG + G(ooser)Y
29   IRRITATE IR + RIT + (l)ATE
32   AVER SHAVER − SH
33   LOVE (th)O(se), (enam)O(ured), (betr)O(thed); love = zero
34   TICS (IN TESCO) * − ONE *
35 bo(O)ks DUIKERS (USER I’D + (paperbac)K) *
36   SLEUTH (SLEUTH + ’TEC) * = (THE CLUES + T) *
37   STEALS (VESTALS − V(intag)E) around (Lancashir)E
Down
1   REDIP RAPIDER < − (A + R)
2   SOWF SOW + F
3   RESAT A in REST
4   TRON TROON − O
6 (K)new NUMINA N + ANIMU(s) <
7   REDOUBT RODE * + BUT *
8   NEOPILINA NEON around PILI + A
9   SPHENE SPHERE with N for R
11   MATURE MINIATURE − (IN + I)
14   DENSE D(rambui)E around ENS
16   HOLY GRAIL (HOI + L) around (GARY L(ineker)) *
20   AGGRACE A + W G GRACE − W
21 C(E)ases CAFARD CA + FARD
22   BETEL BET + DELIA − (outer) DIA
23   FEINTS 2 meanings
25 ne(X)t POTENT POT around NET <
27   EEJIT E + J in TIE <
28   GUESS GUESTS − T
30   THUS T + H + (M)US(k)
31   ZOEA OZ < + EA
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