The Age cryptic crossword by DP for 14/5/14

Just got through this one and I'm feeling a bit cheated. I managed to solve a lot of this with guesswork and by giving up on the parsing and just hammering through with most likely letter choices. There were a few clever clues I really enjoyed, like11A and 6D. Others were beyond my ken. I think there's a spelling error for 16D but that could be Complier's license using a very old, old, outdated, not even in the dictionary anymore version of a word. Thankfully no strumpets!

1A - Part broken following local tennis star (3,6)
"PART" is to be broken, "following" isn't a signpost here but we want a synonym and here it's AFTER to give the name of a "local tennis star" PAT RAFTER.

6A - Form of refinement (5)
I'm still learning myself but I believe this in an &lit clue with double definition or just double definition. either way,  "Form" here is the 12th definition (scroll down a while) of form to mean CLASS which is also a kind of refinement.

9A - Researcher into former fairy TV series (15)
Definition here is "Researcher" and as to the rest I'm stumped. Fairy TV show? No clue. I got this answer with its cross letters. Someone, please enlighten me.

10A - Overcomes, having feasted badly (7)
Definition is "overcomes" and "having feasted badly" gives hint to an anagram for feasted is DEFEATS.

11A - Move like snake when Hitler's in trouble (7)
Definition is "move like snake" the word trouble is an anagrind for "Hitler's" to give us SLITHERS.

12A - Soviet hospital displays national character (5)
Hmmm, where to begin? Is "Soviet" the definition or "national character" and if it's the latter are we looking for a particular person or a concept? Well, here we have the first of many hidden word clues. The word displays is telling us the answer is "displayed" in the clue. Nestled in soviET HOSpital. ETHOS. Ah, rabbit hole averted!

13A - It's possibly Leeds' turn to produce an outcome (3,6)
"Produce an outcome" is our definition, I did not solve this with the clue, but with the dross letters. I had first used "end return" because i'm rubbish about sporting terms and it fit my cross letters. Seems "possibly" is an anagrind for "leeds turn" to unscramble for END RESULT.

15A - Within it I ate something that gets under way (9)
Red flag should go up with "within" as a hidden answer clue. "Under way" is our definition and "WithIN IT I ATE Something..." INITIATE is our answer.

17A - Worry starting by back door (5)
Worry is our definition because what other word is there for a back door? But is we turn the word "door" back we get ROOD and "starting by" means take the first letter of by B to give BROOD.

18A - Without a care, bad behaviour will find a niche (7)
"without a care" is an instruction to remove the A from CARE for CRE,"bad behaviour" they want VICE, which isn't really a bad behaviour but more a cause for bad behaviour. Either way we get CREVICE for "niche"

20A - Finishes off mouth wash - paddles faster as a result (7)
I struggled here. I think the solution is, and I could be wrong: "Finishes off mouth" means to remove the ending H's from "mouth wash" leaving MOUTSWA, Paddles could be an anagrind - I don't think so, but rejig to get OUTSWAM, for "paddles faster"

22A - Conjuror or drunk priest take number to rocky crag (15)
...WTF? Oh dear. These 15 letter words are a killer! Right, let's look closer. Definition is (trust me) "Conjuror" "drunken priest" means to scramble the words in PRIEST "take number" DIGIT "to a rocky crag" uhm, take the ATOR? I don't know but the answer becomes PRESTIDIGITATOR.

23A - Within lovely limits, an urge to have long pins (5)
I didn't solve with the parsing. The definition is "long pins" in a slang manner. There is "within" but the answer isn't hidden in there (looks again) Nope. Are we alternating letters? anagram?

24A - Thus the Bronx cheer for fruit! (9)
Again, no idea how to crack this clue! Really struggled, but I had enough cross letters to guess RASPBERRY as the definition for "fruit". It's beginning to feel like cheating.

1D - Beg for a bit of apple a day (5)
Definition is "Beg for" and I think "a bit of" is our signpost for a hidden word nestled into "apPLE A Day" to give PLEAD.

2D - Minor visible part of a threat to Titanic (3,2,3,7)
This one has no cryptic way to solve, you either get it or you don't. TIP OF THE ICEBERG.

3D - Means of ventilating plane routes (7)
Double definition here and we want AIRWAYS.

4D - I met these coming from worker's log (4-5)
Apart from "I met" being remixed to TIME I don't know how we make the leap to SPENT. For the longest time I had SLIPS in there.

5D - Encircles with jingles (5)
Double definition again, RINGS.

6D - Nice day - source of poison! (7)
This one's funny because being poisoned by CYANIDE, anagram for "Nice day" would be anything but nice.

7D - Angler's catch is so like a misfit! (1,4,3,2,5)
Exclamation marks usually hint to a pun being in the answer. If, like me, your mind doesn't flip to punster easily, you could find these clues a suckfest. I actually got this one, though! Why didn't clue 2D have an exclamation mark? A FISH OUT OF WATER.

8D - Very wet Austrade organisation including team leader (9)
"Very wet" is our definition, "Austrade organisation" I think organisation being a signpost for AUSTRADE "including Team leader" wants us to add the T. Scramble all together for SATURATED.

12D - Like bishops to to give minced pies to firm friend (9)
"like bishops" is the definition. "Minced pies" means to scramble PIES to "firm" or CO (company) "Friend" PAL put together for EPISCOPAL.

14D - Shakes off chalets of a princess (9)
This one drove me nuts. What does it mean!? I get the "shakes off chalets" gets us DISLODGES, but what purpose does "princess" serve?? Anyone?

16D - Divot drops five in frigid form of folly (7)
"Divot drops five" here they mean the Roman numeral five or V to leave DIOT. "in frigid form" synonym for frigid is ICY and we're to...insert...but that's not spelled right.  No honest, IDIOTCY is not right. I checked several dictionaries. But the printed solution says that's the answer. I'm unimpressed.

17D - Place of inspiration for Archimedes' "Eureka!" (4-3)
I googled "Archimedes eureka" and got the story complete with answer in the title BATH TUB. (As I type this Sheldon on Big Bang is telling the Archimedes story. How's that for coincidence!)

19D - Senior feature of novel derivation (5)
Heh? What's this mean? It means...a hidden word clue. There's no obvious signpost for an action to perform, thing that hints to jiggling letters, no double definition...no I don't think so. No, look if we use "Elder" as out definition we can see hidden in "novEL DERivation. is our answer.

21D - In one month, alternative to an eel (5)
All these hidden clues and there's a juicy in waiting to show me a hidden word...and where is it?! No where! Dissed! Nothing to do with eels is hiding in "one month" Alternative could mean every other letter but nothing. How we're supposed to get MORAY I don't know but I guessed.

There we go. Done. Not the most perfect puzzle. A bit frustrating with the typo in 16D. Looking forward to moving on to Thursday's but tomorrow is Friday. I wonder if I'll take a Thursday break from Friday's DA when it all gets to be too much.

I really must stop psyching myself out over these DAs. Until tomorrow...