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No, it's a phrase which I had never heard of before and had to google it.
Each word is clued individually is all I will say if you don't want too much given away.

The first word is straightforward though and think laterally about hands for the second.

Ah! Thanks PS. I had 5d wrong, now corrected and it all makes sense - thanks for your help! Have a good, relaxing Sunday all.

Regarding 26a, thanks for the explanation of the last 3 letters (I was puzzled by this too). However, I'm still confused by the first part of the clue. If it's a definition of 'playing for time' surely that has two Ls in it?! Otherwise it means something else. So, where is the indication that one of the Ls is taken away? No-one else has mentioned this, so I must be missing something.

I can also only partially parse 3d. Where does the final VE come from? Or does the E come from ME (for Everyman, rather I), with comedy being Co, not Com, in which case where does the extra I come from?! And that still doesn't account for the V either. I would also quibble with the definition for this answer.

Other than those two, I enjoyed this offering very much though. Had never heard of the two scientists in 8d, but I guessed the answer from the definition and crossers, and now I know who they are, I like this clue! Also enjoyed 5, 7 and 20.

Jono - I’ve got the answer, but still tearing my thinning hair out with the parse for 8D!! My O- Level physics from 50 years ago is exhausted and I can’t dig out the homophone! Is it two names that’s called for? SOS.

Julesvern: 26A, the L is taken away because of "half-hearted" - remove one of the duplicate letters from the middle of the word.

I can't fully parse 3D either.

everyman's - i've

PercyBass: Just one name which may "spring" to mind if you remember O-level Physics. But it's not the correct spelling of the name since it's a homophone.

the first part of 8 was the indirect subject of a very barbed remark by isaac newton - "standing on the shoulders of giabts"; he was very short!

Hi Percy,

The first word is a homophone of Boyle's assistant and in the second word he referencing himself, although again by homophone.