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Does anyone see how 18 works ? I think that this is one of just three across clues where the letter migrates into another word of the clue. If so, can 'bears' be 'hicks' ? That seems a bit of a stretch, since one is "rude, rough or ill-mannered" and the other is "unsophisticated, unintelligent, uncultured."

I tried to come up with a response to this, but I couldn't hack it ;)

Thanks, Keith. I see it now, in the first definition of 'hack'.

Can someone help me with 27ac and 30d ?

I can't see how 30d can be anything other than 'AFTER', but I can't reconcile that with the clue.

And I can't see anything that fits into 27ac. I've got VO_N !

30dn is a Scottish word for "afraid" with the same letters as AFTER, but, of course, it's not entered in its correct order (the last letter moves up).
As for 27 across, I have SO-N, as I think the V of 5dn moves to the top.
I have quite a few solutions but am particularly perplexed by 15ac for which I have -SS--R, but no solution which gives me a possible word for
8dn.

Barretter,

You're right that 5 down has 'V' at the top, but it's the 'O' which drops to the bottom, giving OM_N for 27ac, I think.

For 15ac, I have HESPER, but it could be VESPER. ESP inside a word meaning 'successor'

I have CHAMPAC for 8 down if that helps.

Barretter, you have an error, presumably from your entry to 6dn. 15ac is _ES_ _R.

Demeter, Check your container for 15ac in Chambers.

Thanks Dryden.

All finished now.