Saga August 08

[DSJ]

10a Yarn causing distress to listeners (6)
24a God of Light o'er all the Earth - and Earth's bounds
(6)

Any help greatly appreciated.

[Argee2]

24a. Aether?

[glasman]

24a. Helios.

[DSJ]

24a I have ?E?I??

[DSJ]

Thank you. Is 20d POSSUM?

[glasman]

What is the clue for 20d?

[multiguess]

The 20d clue is "Play thus for safety- make a late appearance" and I think the answer MIGHT be possum- but can't work out the logic if so.

[glasman]

Yes.
The following is an extract from Wikipedia:-
When threatened or harmed, they will "play possum", mimicking the appearance and smell of a sick or dead animal. The lips are drawn back, teeth are bared, saliva foams around the mouth, and a foul-smelling fluid is secreted from the anal glands. The physiological response is involuntary, rather than a conscious act. Their stiff, curled form can be prodded, turned over, and even carried away. The animal will regain consciousness after a period of minutes or hours and escape. Many injured opossums have been killed by well-meaning people who find a catatonic animal and assume the worst.

[DSJ]

20d Play thus for safety - make a late appearance

[DSJ]

Thank you for confirmation. It was the MAKE A LATE APPEARANCE bit that I didn't understand.

[multiguess]

Fascinating, what you learn from the Saga crossword!

[sarumite]

10a Crewel ... sounds like cruel.

[sarumite]

... 20d To play possum is to play dead ... and the term late can refer to somebody who is dead.

[glasman]

I was giving dsj the benefit of the doubt as ,on numerous occasions, the obvious reason often went right over my head.

[DSJ]

Thanks, everyone. You're stars!