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I picked this up several times yesterday while in a fog of man-flu. (Generous gift from a visiting toddler.) Each time it had the effect of putting me into a healing sleep (a plus) and almost no progress was made (minus). Today I’m more in contact with the world and I am slowly stumbling among the foothills. A real challenge!

Bananabean, the first is a straightforward container. Wordplay is the first four words. Indirect definition.
I can't help with the second. I know the answer but I don't get the wordplay. The definition is in the first two words, so Bradford's might help. It was one of my last entries.

I have finally finished but I can't justify the wordplay of the second across clue. Please help.

Murky, if you look up the last word of the second clue in Bradford’s you should be able to find the containing word, though you have to pluralise it. I agree with your general remark earlier, btw

Bananabean, the second clue is a two letter word for 'burning' in an obscure word for 'lifts', which is also a vulgar word. Def is first two words. In the first clue, 'mount up' does not refer to riding.

I don't have Bradfords, so could I possibly have another nudge for 2ac (and 1ac whist you're at it!)

Thanks

Dylan, my post at 45 is for the second across clue

Could anyone give me nudges for the first two down clues?

Dylan

2Ac Def noxious gases
burning is a two letter word for a fire which has not gone out included in an obscure word for lifts used in the context of raised or lowered intonation in verse feet.

The gas is a derivative of a poison much beloved in Agatha Christie-type muder mysteries

The "container" lifts word, could be used for what most of us will sitting on while reading this.

So far I have cold solved 25 clues and some of the have had 'give up now' writ large through them. The New Yorker clue was one of them. The Detective and Hope clues are others.

Unless I can get some semblance of a grid started I think this is a DNF. A shove in the right direction for 1 or 2 down (which I have an unparsed answer for) might help me get the grid going. I have quite a lot of the bottom of the grid solved but not convincingly entered.

Dylan, the first across clue - I think...mount is 3 letters (common crossword one) reversed. 'Riding' means containing. The result is a common word with an uncommon usage. At least, that's what I have worked out.