The Times 28524

[TioMateo]

7dn :- Dream of clock perhaps on top of abbey (7) C?I?E?A. Looks like CHIMERA (Dream) and CHIME = clock, but why/how does RA = abbey?

19Dn :- Extremely eager dog restrained by gracious Queen's lead (7) M?R?U?Y. It looks as if it has to be MERCURY, but I'm struggling here :- I can only parse part of it and can't even see the definition. R = extremely eager, CUR = dog, but how does ME....Y fit with gracious Queen's lead?
Is the definition "lead"? But then, why "mercury"

[Toorak]

7 clock = chimer & a(bbey)

[Lie-in King]

Chimera - 'chimer' (clock, perhaps) + 'a(bbey)' (top)

(Freddie) Mercury (Queen's lead) - 'e(age)r' (extremely) + 'cur' (in) 'my' (gracious!)

[goodgoalie]

extremely eager - ER
dog - CUR
both inside MY - an exclamation like Gracious!
Queen's lead, another name for mercury

[Toorak]

E(age)r cur (dog) inside my (gracious!)

[TioMateo]

Thanks both Toorak and L-i K. I'm sure you're right in saying that CHIMER is clock. I had taken CHIME to be clock in the sense of "to hit" which they both mean as a verb. That left me with RA for abbey which I couldn't crack. Whilst I'm sure you're right about A and abbey, I'm very grumpy that Chambers has Abb for abbey, and does not have A for abbey. Can you point me to where does show A = abbey. TIA

[Toorak]

Top of abbey means the first letter of abbey = a

[Lie-in King]

"...top of abbey" is 'a'

[TioMateo]

How dim can one be!? Thank you both.