I-spy Choices by Xanthippe

Puzzle explanation

Clues were presented as in a game of I-spy, with the initial letter given at the start (but omitted from the wordplay). Clues were ordered so that the labels spelt out LISTENER, I-SPY, XANTHIPPE followed by the rest in alphabetical order; adjacent clues for answers starting with the same letter were sorted by decreasing answer length, then in alphabetical order of the answers. The grid clashes could be resolved to give, in two diagonal lines, either JAMES BOND and I(an) L(ancaster) FLEMING or JASON BOURNE and R(obert) LUDLUM. Grid entries reading down the first column and then across were CLEAR THESE AMBIGUITIES, a phrase from Act V scene III of ROMEO and JULIET; to make the phrase appear in the final grid, the clash at the centre of AMBIGUITIES had to be resolved as U, not E, which forced the choice of Ludlum and Bourne rather than Fleming and Bond.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

Clue Answer Explanation (first letter omitted)
L LIANES SENA < after I
I IAI-DO ADO around (Samura)I
S SNOWBOARDER R(oom) after (NO + W + BOARD + E)
T THE MOB HOB around ’EM
E ESQUISSE SQUI(t) + ’S + SE(en)
N NEARS S after EAR
E EMBOUND M + BOND around U
R RICKSHA I + C + H in KSA
I IRENE RENEWED − WED
S SHELLY (L + L) in HEY
P PERSON-TO-PERSON (ON + TOPER) in (ER’S SON)
Y YALE ALEC − C; ref. Bill or Hillary Clinton
X XYLEM Y + LEMON − ON
A AMBIGUITIES MB + (IS around (GUILT − L + I’ + E)
N NETE (thre)E TE(nors)
T TIGER (E)IGER
H HAAF-NETS (TEN in (S(olway) F(irth)) + A + A) <
I ITEM TEAM − A
P PEG DOWN EG + DON around W
P POCKETS (STOCK + (ornat)E) *
E ELANDS LADS around N
A AISLE (D)I(sney) + ELS(a) <
A AMRIT MERIT − E
A AKEE KEE(n)
A AMIE MIRE − R
B BENESH SCENE < + H − C
B BUNYIP PIN-U(p) < around Y
C CONFRÈRE ((FOR − O) after ON) + ERE
C CRYING Y in RING
C CLEAR LEAR
C CLOTH LOTH
C CURER R after URE
D DAHL A + HL
E ÉCLAT LA in CT
E ENSUE (N + S + E) around U
E EDIT DIT
E EURO (OR + U) <
E EGM GM
J JULIET LUTE * around I
J JEEP (v)EEP
J JIAO I(n) A (p)O(t)
K KNAIDEL DANIEL *
L LIGNUM I + N in GUM
M MRIDANGA (RAGA + IND) *
N NAS AS
R RUSHEES (USE + SEX − EX) around HE
R ROMEO OMEGA − GA + O
S SUMMAE ((mainstr)EAM MU(rmurs)) <
S SPAM PM around A
T THESE HEARSE − AR
T TRUE RUE
U URAL RAIL − I
W WOST POST − P
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