Gravest By Stick Insect

[professorplum13]

In each clue 2 letters ( not necessarily consecutive ) must be removed from a word before solving, always leaving a real word...
1a Pretending to piracy, perhaps not on the level (7) ?ANTING
i think extras are IC making pray not piracy

29a Church half rueing of a bag in canal (5) CECAL.... ce for church ...call for ring?

30a Nabobs, baron died in arrests (4) NA?S must be nabs(arrests) but parse?

12d American checks thrombi, cycling(4) TA?S tabs (american checks) parse? ..could it be throb = stab then cycle...?

[professorplum13]

i get 29a now ....must be rung /cal(led)

[JJ109]

1a Canting - double def - pretending to pray and not level

[professorplum13]

Thank you JJ109...nearly there now ...

[JJ109]

I thought if something cants it is not level, I can't find that but canting means insincere, perhaps not on the level

[ProfessorMaisie]

30a Yes NABS - 'NAB(ob)' BAR[on]' (bar=minus) 'dead' (ob abbrev) [on extra].

[ProfessorMaisie]

'canting' is pretending to be religious, so - pretending to 'P[i]RA[c]Y' [i+c extra].

[ProfessorMaisie]

It has to be extra e+i for 29, so it's half of CAL(led) = 'RU[ei]NG'.

[ProfessorMaisie]

...sorry, professorplum - don't know how I missed your own reply.

[ProfessorMaisie]

...and ditto to JJ109.

[professorplum13]

All done now with relevant highlighting ....brilliant puzzle!

[ProfessorMaisie]

12d - yes.

[ProfessorMaisie]

Yes, the clue to the theme worked very well, I thought.