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26 across: For which we say golfer should be dismissed, oddly (5)

Answer is clearly eagle, but is there more to it than dismissing the odd letters of w[e] s[a]y [g]o[l]f[e]r? an eagle is a stroke two under par, but is there more to it? Some commentators have connected it to dismissing, but I can't see that. Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Maybe just a weak clue.

You’ve omitted the exclamation mark at the end of the published clue, rogerjw. I think that underscores that the setter’s intention is for it to be an &lit, with oddly doing double duty, as otherwise it lacks a definition. But I agree it’s not very good

Is this a rare error in 7d?

I must keep small boy towing the line (6)

ONSIDE

Seems it should be 'toeing' unless there is a different parsing intention.

Looks like an error to me. I believe it’s called an “eggcorn”... i.e. substituting a word that sounds the same as the original but with a different meaning

jono@4

Eggcorn? How about a homogroan? 😂

Towing was indeed an error. It was confirmed as such on the forum by Crossword Editor Richard Rogan, apparently, and changed to toeing in the online version during the day.