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Vast improvement on last week's horror.

Can't quite parse this one.

12d It's scary in empty wasteland; it's sad when people go to work (7)

'Weekday' fits all the crossing letters and definition 'when people go to work'. 'eek' for it's scary, in 'wd' for empty wasteland, but how is the 'ay' parsed?

SB
I have absolutely no idea! Either it's completely left-field, or a mistake?

Both Collins and Websters have ay as an interjection used to express sorrow, misery etc

I've never heard that, geting. "Ooh la la" seems more likely.

It’s pretty archaic. Shakespeare used it. When Juliet learns Romeo has killed Tybalt, she cries:
"Ay me! what news? why dost thou wring thy hands?"

Chambers…

ay1 /ā/
interjection
2. Alas, esp in ay me

Thank you, I've enjoyed most of this puzzle, but not that clue.

I couldn't fully parse that one either, for exactly the same reason.

According to my copy of Chambers, one definition of AY is "ah, oh, alas, especially in 'ay me'."

Call me Mrs Pedantic, but in my book, that does not mean the same as "sad".

Otherwise, quite a good puzzle - and mercifully low on deletions!