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Loads of good entries here, everyone, with plenty of great wordplay – a difficult decision!

Never done this before, so excuse my ignorance...

For me, was a close run thing between darla @14 (Cut short shaggy dog story I heard (7)) and bacchanal @27 (Scour rota avidly for cut back - every second counts (7)).

In the end I plumped for bacchanal’s effort @27 for it’s clever use of ‘every second counts’ and hiding the definition mid-clue – something you don’t see very often.

Scour rota avidly for cut back - every second counts (7)

As a virtual prize, settle down with a virtual cuppa and watch one of zaniest episodes of The 3 Stooges, aptly entitled Calling All Curs. This one in particular always cracks me up.

Tea and digestive:
https://hips.hearstapps.com/goodhousekeeping-uk/main/embedded/37808/main-biscuit.jpg

Calling All Curs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCC8k9G_1wE

Well done Bacchanal - it was my favourite too! Cheers Whetstone.

Well done Baccy - you're on a roll! Not a roll-up or it might be wacky-baccy...
Cheers Whetstone and well done for your first go!

Congrats, Bacchy, and thanks to Whetstone.

Congrats Baccy, very nice, I also liked the definition in the middle of the clue. Thanks to Whetstone for a fun challenge and adjudication, nicely done.

Congratulations, bacchanal, and thanks, whetstone.
If I may inquire though…
I always thought it was a hard-and-fast rule that the definition must be at the beginning or end, never sandwiched. Was I mistaken?

I’m with Aristophanes. That’s my understanding too.

I suspect it depends on the publication to some extent. It’s certainly unusual. I’m sure there was a clue in the Guardian like this, possibly in the last year, I’ll try and search for it.

For the Times, the guide for setters states …

Clues should be of the form “wordplay leads to definition”, or “definition comes from wordplay”

“Ximenes On The Art Of The Crossword” will likely have something to say on the subject the text of which is linked here…
Ximenes book  https://xotaotc.nfshost.com/

I’ve seen exceptions for composite anagrams eg 26d in last weeks listener. In any case congrats to bacc & thanks to whetstone for hosting.

Here’s an article on positions of definitions with examples…

https://tinyurl.com/definition-in-the-middle