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HI, Rusty!
I think you should stay well away from sweets altogether!
Now, about the redhead in the bank......
They say "It takes one to know one" ?
I thought that the crossword puzzle today was quite a nice one - for me, anyway!
I must just have been on the right wavelength!
I know that you like them to be "hard"!
12a put me in mind of Bing, singing "The Three Cabelleros" with the Andrews sisters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2aghIn3qr8
I hope this works!
There is only one clue that I cannot do....
24a: Say, T E again in a desert (7)
A?A?I?T
I presume that TE is Lawrence of Arabia?
So maybe "Arabist"?
But I cannot see the parsing?
I did not know that "eric" meant "fine", either......but fortunately Anne B did !
I am just popping out with the dog.....

Don't know the answer to your clue, elle, but you have reminded me of a story. I have a friend who collects "overhearings", and this was his favourite.
A middle-aged lady and an elderly lady were in a department store.
"Look" said the elderly lady "There' Lawrence!"
"No, mother, that's not Lawrence, it's Keith"
"Oh well, I knew it was something of Arabia"

Hello, Elle!
I shall take your tip about staying away from sweets, I think!
Now, 24, has an unusual word in it, that I was pleased I knew.
"Bis" means "for a second time" or "again".
It may be French, I am not sure, but it can be used in music.
With "a rat" for "a desert".
"Eric" was completely unknown to me.
I typed it in to Collins Online and got the meaning!
I thought it was a very good puzzle today.
Well done, the setter!

Elle, Rusty,
" BIS " is originally from Latin, and of course is very commonly
used in French. It also gave "BI" as a prefix, as in 'BISCUIT" (cooked
twice) or BICENTENARY for example.

Hope I am not boring you with this!

Hi pigale
I remember "BIS" in France as indicating a "holiday route" for drivers. Bison fute or "wily bison"?

HI Chris,

Indeed, this is a second itinerary and is recommended to drivers whenever heavy traffic is expected. Did you find it useful yourself?

Yes, we used minor roads a lot. France is my favourite country to drive in (apart from the RN roads, of course!)

Quite - to be avoided as much as possible, particularly if you
want to enjoy the scenery!

Interesting that you like driving in France - I did not think French
drivers had the best reputation?

I've also driven a lot in Italy, pigale - French drivers aren't that bad (and on the B and C roads you used to be able to drive for miles without seeing one!)

Hello, Pigale!
Thank you kindly for the info!
I had an idea "bis" was commonly used in French.
But I had no idea about "biscuit"!
Crossword puzzles are a never-ending learning curve for me!
I think "bis" was in another puzzle fairly recently.