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What a lovely crossword. Thanks Everyman. 7d made me laugh out loud and wake my wife!

Not given to Laughing Out Loud, but a faint moan may have escaped my lips for 7d.
Thought the definition of 14d was a bit of a squeeze, but if someone has a better dictionary than me, I'm willing to let it go.
15d there was only one thing it could be really, but its not sitting easily at the moment.
Right, on with the weekend.

Hi Edc,

I have a few problems with this...

Assuming I've got 22a right, and only one word fits the letter pattern, it doesn't appear to be cryptic! What part do "creating" and "mash" serve in the clue? It just seems to ask us to write down the symbol that's written three times - I must be missing something 🤔

Also, is 9d just alluding to if "night of the...." followed on from the end of the clue? In which case wouldn't there be a S at the end?

In 8a, doesn't "approaching" mean the first letter of the 3rd word would need to change from A to I? Otherwise it's pronounced 'as nigh' instead of 'is nigh', but as fas as I can see only the P and N swap places.

And in 2d "solve this clue" - were we not going to do that anyway!?

Hi Plutocrat,

I initially had both 14d and 15d on my list of queries but Chambers confirms both.

In 14d it gives one definition as 'to "trouble" concern or occupy the thoughts of' and...

In 15d, as well as "gits" it's also a transitive verb meaning "to cover with ......" so "does the groundwork" seems fine.

Brendan, M*A*S*H was a popular TV programme starring Alan Alda, featuring Hawkeye, HotLips, Radar etc al

Thanks to Everyman.
Some excellent homophone clues in this one. One clue with novel wordplay.
FOI 1a, LOI 23.
Co-COD 15a, 24, 7, 6.

And a good programme it was too, but that doesn't make the clue any more cryptic, at least as far as I can see.

Brendan, in 8a, allowing that it's a homophone, the second A would be an R, for the end of 'one seasoning'.
Wouldn't work across the Atlantic ..
I can't parse 9d. either.

You're right, thanks Mattrom - with the second A pronounced as a schwa it works just fine.

Can’t parse 9d which is my LOI. I think it must be right from the cross letters but no idea where “patriotic songs” comes in to it