27d) strokes hares = Dashes or Dasher ? I can see that dashes are strokes and someone who hares around dashes but a dasher makes strokes and also hares around. plus the last 5 letters 'asher' is an anagram of 'hares' and 'dasher' fits with the general xmas theme ? I guess without the xmas theme I would plumb for consistencny of 's' (same tense) but ... seek more clever advice please - thank you.
Thankyou kind sir, (mr K)
I'm still learning this cyptic stuff ( been a year now) and have not got to the proud stage of completing most of the crossowrd myself and occassionally managing to confuse myself ! the xmas theme was creating an itch I just had to have answered. TVM
Persevere with the cryptics as you will get a lot of satisfaction from them. For someone starting out you will find that you can sometimes solve a clue from the crossing letters, but always try to work the answer back to the clue itself so that you understand the wordplay.
Of course always ask if you are unsure- all the people on the site were starters at some stage and will be happy to help.
trying mr K.
but sometimes it still elludes me
e.g. 24a) a pack gift without a second thought can only be 'knapsack' from the cross letters as you put it.
but can't get a perfect clue answer fit no matter how hard I try ?
well at least I can console myslef that I have possibly introduced / explained the colloquial 'TVM' to the master.
albeit I misled you by disguising it as potential initials.