Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

20 COLE (as in cole slaw) is the cabbage, backwards, with L(eft) and YAK (as in rabbit, talk)

1 cryptic definition? I can't see anything else

Cheers chrisE and Malone for 20.
I was spelling it YACK (rabbit) so I struggled with the parse.

Yes I think 1a is probably just a cryptic definition, not very satisfying though.

12a. Island previously to get motorway round it
FORMOSA

19d. Idiot diverted us 100km across Switzerland
SCHMUCK

23a. Still clutching your right hand or foot
PYRRHIC

24d. Painter stern after spilling a thinner on the ground
RARER

Parses for the above please.

19. ( US C KM )* all “diverted”, across CH (Switzerland).

12. FOR (get) M (motorway) O (round) SA (it, sex appeal)

23 PIC(ture) - still
around YR (your) R(ight) H(and)
It's a "foot" in poetry
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhic

24 RA (Royal Academician - "painter"
RE(a)R - stern after losing A
thinner on the ground - definition

cheers jono , chrise.

I keep forgetting SA=sex appeal
Some of these clues are a bit meh (and probably dated)