Everyman 4021

[barnaclebill58]

13d Cautious ponder. ?l?i?e?a?e.

A word search comes up with sluicegate, illiterate and alliterate. But none of those seem to fit the wordplay.

25a Inadequacy shown by nephew wearing suit in untidy state.

Meagreness fits and assuming n for nephew is allowed , I've got m eagre n ess (mess) but where does eagre come in?

 

[Lie-in King]

13d Deliberate
25a Meagreness - 'n(ephew)' (wearing) 'agree' (suit) (all in) 'mess'

[Toorak]

Deliberate

 

agree around n(Ephew) inside mess

[Lie-in King]

Further, Collins has -

n - in American English

...7 Nephew

[barnaclebill58]

Thanks both -16a was "German, let down in the end , scowls and scowls" -I had growlss (and didn't spot the non word)  hence my L -silly me. but it was glowers .