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Yes, I’m still not happy with 10/2 either. Can’t help feeling that my 8a is wrong but I can’t find a better solution as yet. There’s no doubt that if the second letter of 2d is not ‘I’ then it opens up quite a few more possibilities.

But, if the second letter of 2d is, in fact, an ‘i’, then another possible solution I guess, could begin with ‘a’.

Maybe the answer to 2 is singular because the clue is What helpS......Therefore PINS would be incorrect as it is plural.

But if the subject of "helps' is "spin"and if the ? somehow indicates an anagram we could have PINS which is the mark aimed at in tenpin bowling..

Well, I’ve just submitted - not expecting anything from this though. Didn’t enjoy this one. FYI I’ve put an ‘a’ word in 2d - just to be different - or stupid.

Perhaps 'hit' is an anagrind, but it would be an indirect anagram.

I'm coming round to this view.
Re 10A, what about an anagram of `and' (awkward) plus 1 letter for earl and 1 letter for son, giving some Nordic people; then subtract `E' to give a word related to martial arts?

Wot???
I have submitted, but still keep checking back to see wot the verdict is!

Well, I have just decided to look here for some ideas to finish off the crossword and what a to do. I have read lots about 2d/10a and realised no-one seemed to have entered what I thought until just now. For 10a I thought the anagrind referred to “and”, “earl” meant just e and then “has another one” referred back to “son” from previous clue, hence ellipsis, thus pluralising Dane to Danes meaning “has another one” could be doing double duty. I then took off the s because I went with Line for 2d where “mark?” could also mean a line.

I strongly support Pendragon re 10a/2d: "I always feel that a good cryptic crossword should be one that may be difficult but, when one has arrived at the answer, one should know it’s correct." Too many justifiable options for both – really frustrating.