Spectator 1840

[BigMac]

Enjoyed doing this and, as ever, the title is important. However, there is a few that have me stumped/for which I need confirmation as I don't understand how the answer is reached:

12d Pound fish privately (5) AS?D? - looks like "aside" but why?

13a Row about Mary embracing Frenchman (5) RA?M? - looks like "rammy" with 'M' for Monsieur embraced by Mary but,again, why?

29d Pilgrim knew most of dance (5) HA?JI - obviously Hadji or Hajji (pilgrimage to Mecca) and the former is close to hand-jive. Thoughts?

30d Alluring whoopie (4) GL?M - no idea on this one

34d Ideal film hero has no heart to be ill in Scotland (4) ?EIK - no idea; what's a Scots dialect word for ill?

Thanks in advance.

[slaney]

13a Rammy is in Chambers as.. (Scot) row, free-for -all

[kayakamina]

12 As +ide (fish)

13 Rammy..a row.....Anag Mary around M (monsieur)

[kayakamina]

29a Hadji as you say....Had (knew) +JI (most of jive)

[kayakamina]

34d Seik....sick in Scotland...Film star S(ell)ick

[slaney]

30d Glam ..Chambers again.."a class of whoopie"

[kayakamina]

30d Woopie = Well off older person

Glam= Greying leisured middle aged

[slaney]

Sorry, that should be woopie.

[kayakamina]

And that should be Greying leisured affluent middleage

[BigMac]

Thank you all very much - tremendously reliable, efficient and helpful, as ever.

New Chambers dictionary is now top of my letter to Father Christmas...

Thanks again.

[cruciverbali]

Not much to add to the above, except that the dance referred to in 29d has to be a 3-letter word, i.e. jig (the answer is as given)

C

[Quizmonkey]

I'd hold off the Chambers purchase till after Christmas - there's a new edition due in 2008!