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This is a silly jokey puzzle - no bad thing, of course - but it relies on malapropisms of "play, film or book". The clue is what Mrs M thinks the play, film or book is about. Ho ho, very jolly! But some of the plays, films or books are elusive and I'm stuck on three of them. Assistance would help. 3A An adolescent's nightmare (the p, f or b has 3 words); 9A A tailor's unadorned tweeds and worsteds (3 words); 38D Why it is not worth learning to read (4 words). In each case Mrs M is getting only one word wrong.

3, the scarlet pimple - pimpernel
9, his stark materials - dark

don't know 38, also wondering about 36 & 45.

Doh! And I have both on my bookshelves. Thank you - I shall not lie awake tonight.

Sorry - pressed "add post" before I meant to. 36 is a children's work and 45, while starting life as a book, has been filmed at least 3 times. (Why is a train journey interminable? Because it has so many ...)

45. Mrs. M: The Thirty-nine Stops.
But as for 36... I have HE?RY, but no familiarity with recent children's works.
With some titles, there's a chance of deducing the malapropism, but the trouble is with others there is a need for satori-like insight- okay, when you have it, there's no doubt, but in the absence of sudden insight there seems to be no alternative route to the solution.

carpox1 - 46 is a proper name, and the sporting event is a watery one, often regarded as being posh.

36 not 46. God I'm getting feeble and it's only 3 days in.

Agreed. Sour grapes, maybe, but I feel this puzzle is somewhat unfair.

Agreeing with carpox's last post, that is.

38 is "uses" (of literacy - Richard Hoggart). It seems that if there is a "the" in the title it is not included in the letter count, is that right?