Does anyone understand why clues which are 4 letters in the grid have an extra bracket after it. Like this Mountain man -- see 14 (4) (6) ?E?? YETI??? the clue and the answer to 14 is Secret places suggesting why nothing makes sense in four clues? (5-5) ?I??? H???S I have HIDEY HOLES???
It looks like you have to remove the letter O from the answers to 4 clues so maybe the second number after a clue might be the number of letters in an untreated answer?
Try continuing 5a) with an O after it, to link with the initial letter of 8d.= FELLoW, then how about 21d) TRIP+o linked to last letter of 27a! D, need I say more for the other strange clues!