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Chrise you have to think of a word meaning (loosely IMO) "debt" , then change 2 instances of 3 letters that appear in that word, chop it in two, and you send up with a word that meets the definition perfectly neatly

Hints appreciated for 9a, 2d & 5 d

Thanks Chrise, I am afraid I don't understand how the first word in 19a is a homophone of the first word in the clue (if I have understood the parsing correctly). In fact I would say it means the opposite if you see what I mean!

9a = 4 (try) 5 (facial hair abbr) 1, with sorrows doing double duty

5d lead in the chemical sense, but not “metal”

BarryC 9a is rather clever, a word for "try"in the legal sense followed by and abbreviation/slang for some facial hair

2d you have to think of a transatlantic word for angry

5d "lead" is not the definition but is an example of the definition!

Thanks, Ian will. I'd just seen the answer but couldn't parse it.
And now I've finished!
Loved 17, and thought the construction of 8d was clever.

2d rise = definition, being angry = homophone

Thanks,,JS. Just got there before your post, as so often!
Happy Sunday, one and all

I enjoyed this. Some well disguised hiddens. Recent participants in Clueless may recognise 25a as an example of a recent word.
17 was also my LOI which it seems it was for many.
Looking up 26a I note it is only in Chambers and Collins in plural form.