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Cheers, got 15 now. I had ETCH as sign before which I could not parse.

Still unsure about my answers for 9A and 7D.

Ladder as in tights then I guess for 9A. Which is what I had.

7D I have something you might use in the bath or to wash a car with then.

ChrisE, on balance I quite like the clue (now that I understand it), but it’s asking a lot of ‘stereotypical’.

13D was also my Clue of the Day. I was trying to make it start with RAM for ages though ;)

In that case, ParadigmShifter, I can see where the first word comes from. Not a phrase I remember coming across for decades, it’s sort of dragging recognition up from childhood!

Pulmunen
Yes, a singular one is hardly stereotypical!

Oh, I'm also unable to parse 19D, despite the hints, maybe I have that wrong?

I can see a 4 letter special type of scissor/shear but the other 3 letters I can't parse as "split"?

Ok... now I can see where I went wrong. Wrong vowel in the 3 letter word. I guess I have not being doing enough embroidery lately ;)

“Drunken 17s” is a quote from Richard III; and a character in the Tempest is a parody of one, so perhaps Shakespeare is partly responsible for the stereotyping!

btw did you know that the scissors in 19d gave their name to the flowers, and hence the colour?

So many hours later finally finished.

17a was not a particularly good clue in the end as my LOI. I like a challenge more than a write in but I wasn't on Brendan's wavelength today. Bit clunky. But I would be lost without the Saturday Guardian Prize so I'll take the rough with the smooth. Thanks as ever for all the hints and help on here today. Keep 'em coming.

COD 13d