Copy/pasting autonumbered text from document A to document B, where document B is not going to use numbering … I hoped/expected that "Keep text only" would discard the generated numbering: it ain't text, because I didn't type it in.

No such luck. Examining the clipboard contents with an editor suggests that what I really want is an option "Copy text only", given the amount of extra information Word sees fit to carry around. Any tips for copy/pasting the text, the selected text, and nothing but the text?

Don't include the first character following the number... (e.g. insert a temporary space character before the number). Alternatively, temporarily remove the auto-numbering.

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Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

a more finicky select sounds like an option; thanks for the tip