Spectator 2215

[Matakari]

Some hints for the following, please:

17a Letter about smell of savoury snacks(7): M??????
19a Dictator books shrubs for TVs(10, 2 words): ????????AS
35 Aussie lorry driver showing restraint about fight(7): ??????E
38 Scottish prison having to bar the two of them, wearing nothing(9):
????????H

26d Table for self-catering with unnamed virile chaps(6): ???E?E
34d Lamb schemed regularly in letters(5): ?B?EE

Many thanks in advance!

[kayakamina]

17a muffins
19a idiotboxes
35a truckie
38a tollbooth
26d scheme
34d abcee

[MargoTester]

34 abcee

[aelmpvw]

34d abcee

[Captain2]

34d Look at the EVEN (regularly) letters of first two words

[Captain2]

Lovely to see you posting kaya, you clever devil!

However the OP asked for 'hints' at the top ;-))

[kayakamina]

Oops!

Hi Captain.

[Captain2]

No problem Kaya - presumably you did the crossword in a 15 minute coffee break yesterday morning?
(Hope you are keeping well).

[kayakamina]

Captain

I got the theme from the title early on so it was reasonably
straightforward from there.

There are rumours I am to be a great -grandfather but don't
tell anyone!

Always nice 'talking' to you.

K

[Captain2]

Secret's safe with me - enjoy the occasion.

[Matakari]

Many thanks, Kayakamina ( And heartiest congrats!) et al...

[hankir]

Can someone give me a hint on the title?

I can guess most of the unclued but see no connection.
I think 6D is the novel and 28A is the hyphened light.

Thanks.

[toalisi]

Roman numeral IV + Os

6d is the novel (but doesn't quite fit the theme!)
28a is hyphened

[MLN:RUGBY]

Jeez.....its Xmas again!! :-(

[hankir]

Thanks toalisi

[vinsculler]

Let me guess - does CCD have lists of words with repeated letters? I can't for the life of me get either 6d or 23d so a couple of nudges would be much appreciated. Either that or I'll have to buy CCD!

Thanks

[Neveracrossword]

I don't think CCC has such a list.

6 D, as mentioned before, is a novel. It was easily found, when I had the opening letters, in Google.

23 D If you have the second half of the word, the first is just the same!

[vinsculler]

Thank you so much N. I had "schoolbook" in 30 and I had slow-wittedly not googled the start of 6d.

Thanks again

[Neveracrossword]

Glad I could help.