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I’ve never done one of these. Aren’t you the trickster. I see only four right off, and they all have a U and could cross just about anywhere. I’m off to work but will no doubt take a peek now and then.

All finished. Took a moment for #4 to sink in. Very nice, jono!

Thanks to all who gave this a go, I appreciate all the comments. Just to wrap things up here is the intended solution. Definitions are underlined.
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🇷 🇦 🇲 🇪 🇦 🇺
🇺 🇸 🇪 🇫 🇺 🇱
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ACROSS
TWERPS - Third-rate inferior asparagus rejected by nits
(ra)T(e) SPREW (rev) (inferior asparagus)

RAMEAU - Frenchman once used staff to stem his water
RAM (to stem) + EAU (his water)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Philippe_Rameau

USEFUL - All-purpose American fuel supply
US + (fuel)*

THRUST - Theme derived from ‘pieces of eight’
Anagram of TRUTHS (answer to 8)

HUGGER - One holding on to unrestrained violence
(t)HUGGER(y)

SPEEDY - Fleet river flowing west crossed by setter
DEE (rev) (There’s a River Dee which flows from Wales to England and another in Scotland) in SPY (setter). This was the across clue indication.

As an aside, the River Fleet is one of London’s underground rivers. It flows into the Thames under Blackfriars bridge and gives its name to Fleet Street which crosses the river via what was once Fleet Bridge (now Ludgate Circus). I digress.

DOWN
TRUTHS - Theologiser’s limits shut out realities
TR +(shut)*

WASH UP - Clean clue for wolf?
A down clue for “wolf” might be WASH (=flow) UP

EMERGE - Appear to withdraw nutm/eg reme/dy extract
Reverse hidden

REFUGE - Break free to restrain old loathing for asylum
(free)* around UG (old word for loathing)

PAUSED - Old man, exhausted, took a break
PA + USED

SULTRY - Hot frenzied lust, extremely raunchy!
(lust)* + RY

Just what I had. Thanks again, jono!

Thanks again jono
All correct here. The only parsing I could not fathom was 2d and thought there was an obscure wolf I had not yet come across 😄

Thanks for your efforts, jono. I never got any further than I reported.
Some queries:
I've never heard of inferior asparagus as "sprew". I did, however, know young asparagus as "sprue". Are they related?
Why is "stem" RAM?
Why is "setter" SPY?

Chris
Sprew is shown in Chambers under sprue (alternative spelling)

Thanks jazzgirl. When I Googled "sprew asparagus", it just turned up "sprue asparagus". Needless to say, I didn't solve that one!

Chris I'll let jono answer your the other two as I am also unsure

Much appreciated Jono - the only one I was unsure about was spy = setter.

I`m familiar with the Fleet St pubs - but my favourite area for refreshments is the London Bridge Borough Market area - I like the `George`.
The Company I worked for used to have its Head Office in Finsbury Square - it was a lovely building with its own drinking water supply from some sort of bore-hole - probably Peckham Spring Water!