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Brendan, you only need the final "s" if you use 9d as part of five word phrase it's commonly known as. However, you don't need it if it's just the "last ****", which is how the surface works. I must admit that I found this pretty tough, but I finished in the end. The one I still have trouble with is 7d. It's not obvious how the first word fits into the clue's surface. I also have two answers that could fit 5d.

Hi Ray,

9d - I'm not at all sure if this is correct but I think that the if you add "night of the" followed by the answer to "last", so 'last night of the ...." you get an event where "patriotic songs are belted out" - Land of Hope and Glory etc.

Like I say, I'm not at all sure this is correct but it's the best I've come up with thus far.

Actually, concerning 7d, I suppose the key word is "defining", which allows you to describe it with the first word, so perhaps it's OK.

Hi Rainman,

7d - it needs the first word to show it's referring to a "defining" characteristic rather than just any old one.

5d - take a word meaning pointed shoot like "asparagus" and move the first letter/'tip' to the bottom/'floor' to give you "fruit"

5a - I am puzzled why the clue specifies "six slices of...." when we know the answer six has letters?

Sorry Rainman,

Re 7d - I started writing my reply ages ago but got sidetracked watching an episode of The Penguin so no surprise that our posts crossed:-)

5d I was fixated on "tips" meaning the first or last letter, not the actual asparagus tips, so the answer's obvious now.

I think in 5a, "six slices" is just another way of saying it's a hidden. I thought it was quite clever.

Ah yes. Thanks Brendan , you are right. Thanks

Sorry for delay …sleeping;-). I think all the queries have been answered except 22a. I also think it is basically non- cryptic. I had the same parsing for the others.

Very good I thought. Particularly like the Spoonerism.

I also struggled to parse 9d until coming here. I think Brendan's theory is probably spot on, but it remains a strange clue. For instance, why did Everyman use slang (belted out), which neither misdirects nor helps?
I'm having even more trouble parsing 14a. I've got the answer, I think, but the second half of the clue baffles me. Can anyone explain?