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Hi Griffin,

14a - anagram/'confused' of "Isaac" + "Hayes initially" and "piano" - definition is "mute"

24a - is a triple definition - "try" as in 'let me have a ????? at it', also a "drug" and a word for "first-rate" as an adjective

Griffin,

the "first-rate" could be used in the context of a sharp shooter, as in he's a ????? shot

Thanks Brendan and Rocky

Well I finished before coming back and the penny had dropped for 8ac and I had to rub out coosin for the stallion. I got the book and the author. I'd never come across 12ac before.

There are two I can't quite parse, though I think they are right: 17ac for which I have a chopper and 22d for which I can't hear document.

14ac is an anagram of Isaac and two other letters given in the clue; definition mute. It was my FOI. My LOI was 10ac and 22d. My CODs were 23d and 2d; I got the latter very early. There were quite a lot of complex anagrams this week.

I can go away now and put up some decorations for Christmas as I have my Bridge group here on Monday and my Patchwork group on Tuesday. I still have half my cards to write as well. I won't bring the live tree in until next week-end.

24a is a triple meaning. Try putting squad after the answer.

14a anagram plus Hayes initially confused about 1 letter piano

Roof:
17a is indeed a chopper. The King is the present monarch and desert is a verb
22d you will only hear the document if you stress the second syllable unnaturally.

Thanks Brendan.
Have a good weekend

Thanks Griffin, you too - see you next week:-)

Thanks Rogissimo

17a was obvious once you gave me the important hint. I still can't pronounce 22d to get a document. I guess I've got it wrong. I'll see what my friend in Sheffield says tomorrow when we compare notes.

Hi again roof
22d parses as a two-letter homophone of a three-letter synonym of ‘secure’ and then a four-letter homophone (but only if pronounced as in the solution word but with an extended vowel-sound) of a four-letter synonym of a legal document.
Don’t know if that will help you!

Thanks a million Brendan, I could not parse 8a for the life of me!