The Week 1219 Saturday July 25Th 2020

[rtxwdtrier]

3 problems with clues this week:
8d "Irregular dates unknown to me (6)" S _ E _ D _ looks like STEADY but why "to me"?
21d "Sort of car that is the making of pa! (5)" P _ N _ A looks like PANDA (old police car) but why "is the making"?
22a "Unicorn is out for fun (9)" I _ C _ R _ I _ N looks like INCURSION but why "for fun"?

Any help please.

[jazzyjen]

Anagram of DATES with Y (unknown)

[dannyk13]

21d. P and a-spell pa.

[mallyh]

22 anagram unicorn is

[rtxwdtrier]

Thanks all - but in each case it's the other words in the clue that fox me, plus no definition for INCURSION or STEADY.

[aelmpvw]

i don't see 'fun' as a synonym for incursion?

[dannyk13]

22a.
https://www.fundayout.com.au/school-activities/incursions/

[aelmpvw]

thanks danny, new definition for me

[dannyk13]

And me ael :-)

[rtxwdtrier]

danny, thanks for the view from Down Under which seems to be about excursions rather than hostile attack or invasion.

[dannyk13]

Also from Oz
https://www.partyhigher.com.au/school-incursions/

[dannyk13]

For some reason,best known to them, some setters omit a definition.

[rtxwdtrier]

Google says that in Australia a school incursion is a visit from a speaker or group, as opposed to an excursion where the children leave the school. The website title "fundayout" must be awfully misleading!

[Calibax]

8d is an all-in-one or &lit clue where the whole clue serves as the definition. A 'steady' is a regular girlfriend/boyfriend so would not go on irregular dates.

[rtxwdtrier]

Thanks Calibax, it's a more ingenious clue than I'd realised!