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Excellent! English lay at anchor in Scapa Flow(4)RAD?

Scapa flow is cockney rhyming slang for GO.
Is that any help?

Rads is also slang for fine, wonderful..

"rad" is short for "radical", which can mean excellent - then E, and it's an old english past participle for "ride", which can mean to lie at anchor. I haven't found out what "Scapa Flow" has to do with it. So many of the clues in this puzzle seemd over-worded.

Perhaps the extra words are there to act as red herrings. Scapa flow sure put me off the scent. Still, it gave me the opportunity to dive into my new copy of Chambers.

I don't think there should be red herrings in crossword clues. I started doing the Mephist many years ago. I think I am right in saing that then there was just one setter; every clue was perfect, no superfluous words, and the definition was as printed in Chambers. Since he died it's neve ben the same.

How's this for a clue then?

Flapping burka a knockout or cover for bird (10)

Clever, Kookaburra. Need I say more?

Less self-promotion, more solution!!

Checking in Chambers, a possible meaning for rad is excellent.
'rade' is a Scots alternative for 'rode' ie 'rode at anchor'
So if you accept Scapa Flow = Scottish, (like Makarios = Greek), there are no extraneous elements in the clue. Ok, it's a bit obscure, but it is Mephisto..