Ev 1612

[tedsgran]

From the answer to each clue  a letter must be deleted wherever it appears before entry into the grid. Definitions rfer to full answer...wordplay to the mutilated answer.

6d Fish in France and almost shoot harmful insect in Paris (8, 2 words)

I'm thinking carp en ba for the wordplay...the missing letter(s) is G...but i can't make a harmful insect like carpenter bee or carpenter ant...??

15d Liberal withdraws from resisting chemical substance (8)   ??U???N?    missing letter D

14a Blood vessel before two thirds of local government (5)  I have ERECV for the grid answer   ...A is the missing letter...so defn is probably  "something" cava

[ProfessorMaisie]

6d CARP+ET+BU(d) = 'shoot' -'g' unclued

15d OTT+A(d)MIT with the final 'e' unclued

14a PRE+CV 2x'a' unclued (PRECaVa)

[ProfessorMaisie]

...the ''two thirds of loCal goVernment'' = CV.

[tedsgran]

Thanks Prof M ...Ive already got the ottamite one ...that's 18d....

[ProfessorMaisie]

Sorry, 15d is RE(l)UCTANT (for 'resisting') but the def is RE[d]UCTANT.

[tedsgran]

Thanks again

Still not seeing the object in the grid ...possibly looking for the wrong one!

[ProfessorMaisie]

Lower half and horizontal, tedsgran (no symmetry).

[tedsgran]

thanks ... too obvious for me !

[saladdodger]

where's the beginner in 28a answer (O)xime

Chemical compound to arrange by taking over from beginner

by = X  Oxime is the compound      ??

[ProfessorMaisie]

'to arrange' = (t)IME with with X (= 'by') supplanting the 'beginner'.

[ProfessorMaisie]

(...one too many withs there.}

[saladdodger]

Ah..... get it now...Thanks Professor Maisie

[Brownbelle]

All done except 22d.. I've got D-RER. S is extra letter. Want to put in DORER but can't fully parse. HELP appreciated! Thanks

[scorpiojo]

Clue please?

[Neveracrossword]

The clue...

Vagrant runs into agent (5)

[JJ109]

Dorser is a variant of Dosser (vagrant). The S is extra giving Dorer. R(Runs) in doer(agent) = Dorer

[Brownbelle]

Thankyou. Had filled in dorer but didn't find dorser as variant spelling of dosser. Help much appreciated.

[JJ109]

You're welcome!

Scroll down to the "in American English" definitions

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/dorser

dorser in American English

(ˈdɔrsər)

NOUN

dosser1

[Neveracrossword]

The preamble says Chambers is recommended, and Dorser, dosser,  is in there.