I have one loose end, which is the parsing for
10a. S. American plainsman's brief ceremony cut short (6)
(I have the answer.) I thought it may be 2 separate words, both shortened, but if that is the case, I can't see the first one.
Hints welcomed.
I had the exact same issue with the clue. The second "cut short" is clear, the first 3 letters of a 4 letter "cut" but the first one, which I presumed followed the same pattern, is a bit of a mystery.
There is 9 letter word that begins with the first 3 letter that means "showy ceremony" (it's Latin) so I wonder if it's an accepted abbreviation?
Ah! If you add a D to the first 3 letters you get a word meaning the same thing (and it's also the first 4 letters of the 9 letter word I mentioned in my previous post.