12a a couple of witches cut the cackling? (4) h?h?. very funny haha hehe hoho? So if heath meant witch, cutting the would give he. Do you guys know anything about Sir Edward i dont?
17a celebration's long - that's right for new year (5) p?r?y.
undoubtedly party but since when does alberich long for pat, lest i miss my guess he long's only for gold like Mr. G....
12a showing time for son in delightful message (5) t?e?t. probably tweet as twee is delightful and t is time, and of course a son can be ignored. or is it treat for absolutely no reason 20d on...
3d instrument left with Victorian pick-up l?t?. clearly lute but why. given left=l is obvious did VR ever pick up an Indian from Utah? or was a universal touring engine a popular truck in 1880?
24a man on board recited sketch d?a?t. no doubt draft but why? doctor aft? man = r = ralph ellison with the invisible invisible, on daft = side of a ship,
sk-etch = slovakian itch?...
for andy as is
17d afternoon = pm
a (newspaper= ft) (editor running leaders = er) not working = no on
29a popcorn = snack
fizzy drink = (soda) pop
cheese and corn are both old jokes...
as to why 12a is tool. saw plane chopper (as in axe) are all cutting tools each with other connotations. now fleming's rosa klebb's shoe had a switchblade toe which is another tool. klebb is played by...
20a. house martin finally going round french city (5) n?m?s. the only such french city is nimes but to extract those letters from house martin takes more surgery than i can swallow (which is a house...
3d- device for mounting rifle (4) - T???
9ac- stress has sovereign tucking into wine (6) - M?C???
23d- causeway in beauty spot (4) - ?O?E
Help appreciated , with explanations.
TIA
HH...
6a crusty tripe sandwiches lead to revulsion g?u?f. likely gruff but the revulsion hit me in 23d where there was yet again wee. the setters need diapers
2d what stars do with wee curtains t?i?k?e
must be twinkle but if wee is (unforgivably) tinkle where's the other wee w from. i wont buy its common abbrev for windowtreatment...
7d sauce - it has Latin starter with it t?l?a (5) where the t comes from 4a soiled contents of wide pants revered ?d?l???d (8) which i took to be adulated from adulterated with ter mysteriously from...
1a hum overtures of otello and carmen backwards in box c?f?i?
must be coffin they carry you off in (not often) but how is ff hum? the buzz is that fortissimo is the opposite...
19d second flaming offence (3) s?n must be sin but flaming is more likely on than in, i don't remember the second deadly sin being over-obviousness 21d initially, carry on about too much material (6)...