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Puzzle explanation

The extra letters in clues for the unjumbled entries (and 17dn) spelt “anagram; Myzskowski”. The central 4×7 area of the grid was encoded using the Myzskowski transposition cipher with ANAGRAM as the keyword. Decoding the cipher text, which required resolving the ambiguous placement of E and P in rows 7 and 9, gave “Transposition Cipher by Serpent”, the puzzle’s true byline.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra letter Answer Explanation
Across
1 t(A)ints MARIONETTE ((g)O(v)E(r)N(m)E(n)T (t)I(n)T(s) R(e)A(l)M) *
9 ra(N)ge SPIREA SPA around IRE
10 (A)new MIEN IE in (M + N)
11 (G)rand DIVERSE DIVES around R + E(vent)
14   PRACTISE PRISE around ACT
15   TOUGHENING (HUGE GIN + TONIC − IC(e)) *
16   BARRENS homophone of BARONS
18   ON-DIT EDIT with ON for first letter
19   TEPEE (apartmen)T + ÉPÉE
22   FACTORY FACTOR Y
23   PIROUETTES (SET + TIP) < around ROUÉ
26   ESCAROLE (ESC + ROLE) around (C)A(esar)/(Caes)A(r)
27 sho(R)t SPORTED (TOP + DRES(s)) *
28 (A)bounds ETCH EH around T(raffi)C
29 ar(M)y APIARY A + PI(t) + ARY
30 (M)en RESENTMENT EN in REST + MET around N
Down
2 wear(Y)ing APING AP + IN + G(ranta)
3   BITTERN BIT + TERN
4   SCENARIO (IRON CASE) *
5   PAINS SPAIN with first letter moving down
6   ENMESH ME(ssia)EN * + SH
7 incorporate(S) TEACUP (incorpora)TE ACUP(uncture)
8 (Z)one ENGENDERED (GERRYMANDERED ONE) * − (R + MAYOR) *
12 lin(K)ed RIGHTFUL RUL(e) around FIGHT with F moved down
13 (O)pinions TEETOTALER (A LOT) * in TEETER
14 spa(W)ns ROADSTER ROSTER around AD
17 (S)tory PROPERTY PROSPER − S(uggest) + T(or)Y
20   EMPTIER (E + TIER) around (M + P)
21 ris(K)ing LOCATE MATE with COL < for M
22   SHORES SHOE’S around R
24   PIANO (o)P(t)I(m)A(l) + NO
25 (I)ran STERN R(an) in NETS <
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