Inquisitor 1499

[pomona]

17d I offered host most substantial sandwiches present (10) ?A????IEST

11d Right about amateurs squandering opening following brilliant clearance (10) ???R?Y??N?

[Neveracrossword]

17 Masspriest

[pomona]

that's what i have ... but how does it parse please?

[Neveracrossword]

It's someone who offered host/Communion. I think it's Massiest, most substantial, with Pr, present inside. That's just a guess!

[pomona]

looks good thanks! any ideas on how these pairs work.... i have some from the defns but don't see any connections between how the 7 pairs work

[Lie-in King]

11d Defrayment - 'def' (brilliant; slang) + 'r(igh)t' (about) '(l)aymen'

[pomona]

Thank you Lie-in King

[Neveracrossword]

Glad I could help, Pomona. I haven't come up with anything on the pairs.

[hankir]

I have about half done.
Any hint on 15a or 5d welcome.
15. Lover of famous swimmer I celebrate turning into celebrity (9)
5. Easy-going person beginning to prune American tree needing more time (8)

The theme is English places, I believe.
This is what I picked up reading another forum.
First part of 19d is 9 letters. First four go into the grid.
Second is 8.
When you take last 5 from first part and first four from second part and Google the 9 letter word, you get one of the 7.

[Neveracrossword]

The answer is an easygoing person. 'Beginning to prune' = the first letter, followed by an abbreviation for American, then the name of a tree has the word 'more' taken away and a 't' added. Hope this makes sense!

[Neveracrossword]

15 is hard to give hints for. It's an unusual word, but quite logical. The start of the word is 'Lover of famous swimmer' - that's from mythology, but it's an everyday word meaning someone brave, someone you admire. The 'celebrate' means 'give voice to'.
If you need something more direct, please say.

[hankir]

Thanks Neveracrossword.
It took only 2 seconds to figure out the answer.
Well done on the hint.

[Neveracrossword]

Hankir, glad that one helped. I hope the second one does too!

[hankir]

Also thanks on 15. Did not know that H was a lover of a swimmer.
But got it.
I am not familiar with theme word places so hard work ahead.
Much appreciated Neveracrossword.