Azed 2480 "little Extras"

[hankir]

Some clues are without definition
Help with:

12 Wide branch caught in angler’s tackle (7)

40 Shut up in school? One the contrary one’s seen in King Tut exhibition maybe (7)

12 Having got stuck into drink, he trots jauntily (9)

30 Sally e.g. made by a military group I avoided (4)

[scorpiojo]

30 A un(i)t

[JJ109]

40 Pschent

[JJ109]

I haven't solved 12a myself yet but I have _ _ WA _ _ E

For 12d I have _ TH _ _ _ T _ C
(+ the 5th letter may be an "E")

[hankir]

Thanks scorpiojo and JJ109.

[hankir]

JJ109:

For 12a, Wide branch may be W+ARM.
This may be one of the modified ones.
No idea how to modify yet.

[JJ109]

Thanks Hankir - neither do I? I only have 16 clues left to solve, but I don't have a single one of the thematic answers. If it helps 15a = EXIES. This is meant to explain how we manipulate! Well ??

[hankir]

Thanks JJ109.
I had sexiest but was dropping last two so it did not work.

[ProfessorMaisie]

full answer for 12a = 'legwarmer'

[ProfessorMaisie]

EXIES is right and not thematic - st(one) is removed from sEXIESt, as you say, but from the outside ('having shed' just about justifies it, I think).

[ProfessorMaisie]

A hint for 12d -
'drink' is the verb 'neck', in this case (with anag of 'he trots' inside giving the full thematic answer).

[hankir]

Thanks ProfessorMaisie.

I now have all but 4d, 21d and 31d.

Not sure about 15 letter word. Is it 6-9?
Begins with G?

[iminoz]

I'm thinking of 8,6 starting with S, but I may be wrong.

[iminoz]

...or 8,7 even...

[hankir]

Thanks iminoz.
I thought of it. But it has to be plural so must end in S?

S----G + S---S (makes 8-8)

[ProfessorMaisie]

8,7 for me too.

[ProfessorMaisie]

...S F

[hankir]

Thanks ProfessorMaisie.

But not sure what F would stand for. Will have to think about it.
Unless the F word has two Ls.

Any hints on 4d, 21d and 31d?

[ProfessorMaisie]

For 4 'secundum naturum' gives the abbrev that's on the outside of the answer.
21 + 31 are both archaic, for 21 'pud' is hand/fist - for the double def at 31, take the first letter from a big NZ bird.

[ProfessorMaisie]

yes, it has 2 Ls (and it is a Christmas puzzle, after all).

[ProfessorMaisie]

... from big NZ birds.