Spectator N0 2525

[Matakari]

Good day, a taxing Cheesecracker this week! Some hints/Answers for the following would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

12 (A) Skywriting? (9, two words) : ??RL?????
14 (A) Radical Left holds back boy (5 ) :????A
15 (A) Distort lower grades by class (6) : D?????
36 (A) Extremely uneven revenue not split (6 ) : U????T

4 (D) Busy person, one soon penning English poem about British obsession (16, five wds):
A??EI?IS?O????
8 (D) Cause doubt to remain — wretched ‘snip’ ensues (14, three wds) : ??????????EN??
18 (D) Making unfit grannie run pup around (11) : ???????R???
29 (D) Won back English girl, arising in service (7) : ???A???

[ProfessorMaisie]

4d is the thematically modified entry to a straight clue (it would be 1,3,2,4,6 if only real words were used).
Where you have your 2nd 'I' is the point it crosses with an unclued entry - the 'I' isn't exactly right but it's pretty close to what is needed.

[bobbinwales]

12a AIR something?

[bobbinwales]

Air letter fits but am not sure if theres such a thing (only airmail)

[ProfessorMaisie]

...for the last part of the wordplay for 4d think about a verse form (6 letters) around B[ritish].

[ProfessorMaisie]

Yes, 'air-letter' is right.

[ProfessorMaisie]

Last part of 8d (2,8) is an anagram of 'snip ensues'.

[bobbinwales]

thanks prof, got it now

[ProfessorMaisie]

18d is a slightly odd word but it isn't obscure - anag of grannie+r+pup (starts UN...).

[bobbinwales]

Tried that, profmaisie but could'nt find anything sensible. Will look again

[bobbinwales]

Thanks. Got it now. Temporaraly removed UN from the anagram and the answer hit me

[ProfessorMaisie]

That leggy thing, bobbinwales? I'm glad Matakari gave us the opportunity (as you guessed might happen).

[ProfessorMaisie]

(it's that 'e' in 4d that rules the 'i' out)

[bobbinwales]

Don't get the 'leggy thing' reference profmaisie?

[Neveracrossword]

Bobbinwales, it relates to yesterday's Spectator query, an earlier thread. (PS You made me laugh in that one, suggesting Matakari could clear up the loose ends!)

[ProfessorMaisie]

29 - the service is the naval one (2 letters) around a 4 letter girl's name + E(nglish) [reversed].

[ProfessorMaisie]

...sorry, E comes after reversing the girl's name.

[bobbinwales]

Sorry, got you now- yes that multilegged thing which has two spellings

[ProfessorMaisie]

14a the (slang) boy is hidden in the clue [reversed].
you need common 4 letter synonyms for the ends of 15 and 16.

[bobbinwales]

Your clues make it so easy now, thanks profmaisie- I got 14a now

[Matakari]

Many thanks for the hints to meditate upon, ProfessorMaisie!