Summertime by Harribobs

Puzzle explanation

The extra letters in wordplay spelt out “make magic square; A is one, B two etc”. Using the usual numbering of A = 1, B = 2, …, Z = 26, the letters initially entered in the grid made all the rows, columns and long diagonals add up to 140, except for rows 2, 3, 12 and columns 2, 5, 8. Four letters were then changed, making new words, to make all the totals the same.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation [extra letter]
Across
1 STRATA TRAT in SA[M]
5 COP OFF P in (CO + OF + F)
10 HAWKERS HAS around (WK + ER)
12 REVUE U[A]E after REV
13 EL AL (L in LA[K]E) <
15 SESS S(un) E(xpress) S(trong) S(upport)
16 SHADUF H[E]AD in SUF(i)
17 RIDE R + IDE[M]
18 RIFLE F[A]ILURE * − U
19 NOT-I NOTICE − CE
21 RENTS STREN[G](th) *
23 BEATLES BEAT L[I]ES
25 GREEN ISLE (IS + (thankfu)L) in GREENE
27 ODIN IN after [C]OD
30 TEUGH (E + THUG[S]) *
32 YORUBA (BUR[Q]A + YO(u)) *
33 FIE (E[U] + IF) <
34 TAUS AUS in T[A]
35 ELAPSE ESPALIE[R] < − I
36 SLEEPERS (SEE + PERS) around L
37 AMER A + MER[E]
Down
1 SHEERER E in SHE[A]RER
2 RWANDAN WAND in RA[I]N
3 TECHNO TENO(r) around CH
4 ARNAUT ARGONAUT[S] − GO
6 ORDURE (DOCK LAB[O]URER) * − BLACK *
7 OVERFELL [N]OVEL around ERF + L
8 FUSILIER RIFLE * around (US + I)
9 FESTER (SORE FE[E]T − O) *
11 SUDSIEST (SU[B]SIDES with D moved up) + T
14 LOITER LIT[T]ER around O
20 STEEPS STEPS around (So)[W]E(to)
22 SNARE (Nessi)E after S[O]NAR
24 SPHEAR HEAR after SP
25 GOATS GO AT + S(tate)
26 E-NOSE ((tak)ES ONE) <
28 DUAL (DE GAULL[E]) * − LEG *
29 PULE P[T] + ULE
30 TAPS 2 meanings
31 GÎTE [C]IG < around T(h)E
33 FEM FE + M
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