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Hello Pastille,

My explanation for 1A) is

Get stuck in to = the definition of the whole clue. RE: Chambers, Grapple boldly with a danger or difficulty
fried = (anagram indicator) of steak
Catching = putting inside
Its creator = creator of the steak = second & third word
close to = fourth word
sexual arousal = fifth & sixth words minus the last letter
the first word and the last letter of the answer is picked up from the anagram of steak

Hope that helps

Les40

Yoohoo! Syzzie: What's the Scots storyteller in 6d?
dj: Why does the fairer sex struggle with it?
Joan: What's the game in 43d?
Les: What's the wordplay in 47d?
Finished long ago, but see that question marks are still there. Loved the puzzle.

Hi aristo -- if I may....?

The offside rule in football (soccer) is notoriously difficult to understand, not least because they keep changing it subtly, but it's generally regarded by male chauvinists as beyond female understanding. I suspect those same chauvinists would be hard-pressed to explain it adequately themselves.

The game in 43d is (R)ugby (U)nion

The wordplay in 47d is that old favourite, alternate letters ('used regularly')

I must admit I'm not entirely sure where syzygy's Scots story-teller fits in.

Thanks, Bullfrog! Assumed as much about the offside rule, but didn't think either sex was at a particular disadvantage; I'm still trying to understand it in soccer, American football, and hockey. Re Scots thing, thought there might be a word to remove N from (anonymous), but couldn't find one.

By the way, Bully, local team (and I do mean local) going to the Super Bowl. Ravens had a chance to tie with a few seconds left with a 32-yd field goal, and........missed!

@ Aristo: in 43d the short bat is stic(k)!
in 6d I assume it has s'th. to do with LEAR/LEER Scottish for to teach or learning (v & n).Syzygy will no doubt educate us properly soon!

Thanks, greedy. I did get the stick part (we have those over here; in fact I live in them- do you have that expression over there?). Thought there might be a definition of leern or something that meant storyteller (minus N for name).

Yeah --- I live in the sticks myself here in F, but they're very beautiful sticks at least!

HI aristo,

The guys are right with Rustic = Simple
Game = RU Rugby Union
Short bat = Stic(k)

Explanation of Syzzie's 6d

Story teller = Liar (Scot's dialect= Leear)
anonymous free = (-a)
leer = ogle

See Page 873 of Chambers under third entry of "lee"

Thanks, Les! Just couldn't find it.
greedy: The sticks get a bad rap. Not far from here is a village that Hawthorne, Emerson, Thoreau, the Alcotts et al lived in- all at the same time, and Emily Dickinson lived in one too. Re Concord: Sorry about that. The Brits had a bad day there once, in an eerily beautiful place.
I love my sticks too; I'm a lover of Eastern woodland flora.