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From the start, first alternative looks likely by a clear knockout. Second alternative....? (8)

Alf Black makes a withdrawal (8)

Autumn here again, like a tin of tomato soup? (8)

Calls Bake-Off cooking leaving foes to cringe (8)

At roughly the halfway point, lots of good stuff - keep 'em coming.

Just need a little parsing help thus far:
- mattrom@9: why is 'reduced value' = fallback?
- aristo@15 ?

This is where I discover I'm missing the obvious ...

stevea: It's what I call a "layered clue", and I think it's full of Americanisms.

When academic year begins, what sophomores are in a business major? (8)

When academic year begins: FALL (in US universities the academic year is divided into fall and spring terms).

what sophomores are: BACK (they're second-year students, back in the fall).

a business major?: Many students who enter college as physics or chemistry or engineering majors switch to business or gender studies or some other less sleep-depriving major in their second year- a fallback.

Got it, thanks! Don't worry about -isms ... in particular, fall is well known on this side of the pond, having come across from you. Thanks for explaining the rest. As a math(s)-with-physics graduate, yes, I wondered if certain other subjects' students had as many lectures, homeworks etc!

? .nmutuA

Hi Steve, from here,

http://lexicon.ft.com/Term?term=fallback

"A reduction in the amount, level, price etc of something." = reduced value
Too obscure?

mattrom - thanks, if it's good enough for the FT, it's more than good enough for me!

Oblib - new to Clueless? If so, welcome, and enter as often as you like, up until the closure time of 6pm UK time.