rt36

[j4277]

Last two
17d garment makes you fat when lowest part is turned in (7) - *E*T*R* - ?????
21d pass over town assembly (4) - D*E* - is it 'diet'?

[gixerboy]

21d diet

Diet \Di"et\, n. [F. di[`e]te, LL. dieta, diaeta, an assembly, a
day's journey; the same word as diet course of living, but
with the sense changed by L. dies day: cf. G. tag day, and
Reichstag.]
A legislative or administrative assembly in Germany, Poland,
and some other countries of Europe; a deliberative
convention; a council; as, the Diet of Worms, held in 1521.

Passover \Pass"o`ver\, n. [Pass + over. See Pasch.] (Jewish
Antiq.)
(a) A feast of the Jews, instituted to commemorate the
sparing of the Hebrews in Egypt, when God, smiting the
firstborn of the Egyptians, passed over the houses of the
Israelites which were marked with the blood of a lamb.

[Jumbuck]

17d LEOTARD (garment)

if you remove 'toe' (lowest part) when reversed i.e. 'eot' you're left with 'lard' (fat)

21d DIET (assembly)

pass over = die
town = t

[Jumbuck]

* 17d it would have been simpler to say 'add eot into lard' rather than stuff about taking away letters but I blame the hangover.

[j4277]

thank you both very much for your full and informative answers. much appreciated. nice to know the reasoning behind things!!!