Spectator 2557

[electricnostril]

Help (or reassurance) please
An enjoyable crossword which I reckon I've finished but am unsure about 3 answers.
20 A) Island graduate arrived in (5) ???R? - I'm guessing this is BARRA
21 D) Old gun held by one old gnome (5) Assuming my 20a is right, that gives me ADAG? which suggests ADAGE but I can't parse that with clue
46 A) Brilliant poem's inside writer (5) ?E?OE My guesss is DEFOE but again can't reconcile it with the clue apart from Defoe being a writer and ode for poem figuring in that name.
I don't usually manage to finish Pabulum's crosswords so it's annoying to get so close or have I ?
Even so, as someone who failed his 11+ , I'm amazed I got this far!

[Neveracrossword]

20 Yes, Arr,arrived, inside BA, graduare
21 Gnone means a saying, proverb, adage...
46 Def, briliiant (slang) and p OE m, poem's inside.

[Neveracrossword]

Sorry about some wonky timing, I was distracted! I'm sure you read those words as 'graduate' and 'gnome'....

[electricnostril]

Many thanks NAC. I'm always impressed by how quickly others complete the Spectator crossword.

[Neveracrossword]

Thanks, electric... Glad I could confirm you were all correct! I've been doing this puzzle for about 15 years, and manage it reasonably quickly most weeks.

[Tilly2]

Do you subscribe to The Spectator, NAC?

[Neveracrossword]

No, Tilly2.

[Tilly2]

Thank you. :-)