Ev 1233

[Neveracrossword]

3 D. Check gate no. 99 periodically for trucks (6) chor??

20 A. Surgeon without backing covers last of slime mould (7) h?e???el

NB. The wordplay in some clues leads to the entry minus one letter. I don't know if the clues above are involved.

[scorpiojo]

Nac, is 20a 7 or 8 letters, please?

[Neveracrossword]

Sorry, 20 A has seven letters - H?e??el

[scorpiojo]

Pass :(

[1ozzy]

Haeckel

[Neveracrossword]

Thanks,1ozzy.

[Neveracrossword]

Sorry, scorpiojo, I forgot to say 'thanks for trying'. I'm stuck in one little corner of this crossword, so was trying to find a way through - and forgot my manners!

[scorpiojo]

It doesn't matter :)

... I can make choric (which makes no sense to me)... Ch(eck) dOoR (gate?) iC (99)

[Neveracrossword]

Thanks again, Scorpiojo. I too got Choric, but only because it crosses Haeckel. I've stuck those in anyway!

[scorpiojo]

:))

[Malcolmd]

Nac, I think your 20a should begin with c and it should be chores not choric.

[Neveracrossword]

Thanks,Malcolmd- I've changed things around and got 20 A sorted and correct now.

[hankir]

My 20a starts with C and ends in L.

Still missing two answers.
The wordplay may miss a letter.

37 Mollusc’s gas without sign
of doubt (5)

23. High priest skipping towards ridge (4)

Have no idea how to start the end game.
Help appreciated.

[hankir]

Just got 23.
Towards + Ridge gives the answer.

[Neveracrossword]

Hankir, I think 37 might be Helix, with the He/Eh being a sign of doubt.

[hankir]

Thanks Nac.
Still cannot parse it but Helix is a type of Mollusc so I will go with it.

[Neveracrossword]

Hankir, In 37, maybe Hel - Helium - is the gas? I was relieved to have an answer which worked with other clues. I'm still puzzling over 21 A so a hint would be appreciated.

[Neveracrossword]

...sorry that should have been 23 A, mentioned earlier.

[hankir]

How about this parsing for 37?

Gas is Helium. Um is the sign of doubt.
So Heli plus X(the missing letter).

I only have 6 missing letters. Need to find the other 3.

[hankir]

23 A: Bishop = s and short man = kin(g)?

[Neveracrossword]

Thanks, Hankir, but 23 A is the High priest one. I tried to get it using your earlier mention of Towards and Ridge, but got nowhere!