Independent 11,917 / Mog

SUPER (=mean, excellent, in slang) + VISOR (=shade, over eyes)

S (=small, in sizes) + CAM (=device for recording, i.e. camera)

RE (=on, regarding) + CE (=church, i.e. Church of England) + I (=one) + PT (=pint); receipt is receiving, getting, cf. to be in receipt of

RA (=painter, i.e. Royal Academician) in LIBEL (=smear, defame)

C (=Conservative) + OLD (=grey) + ˈFRO (=hairdo, i.e. afro) + <shave>N <fla>T (“finally” means last letters only)

STAR (=red dwarf, in astronomy) + E<astenders> (“bit of” means first letter only)

Double definition: the elder is a bush, a shrub that produces elderberries AND elder is senior, advanced in years

EX (=divorcee) + PUN (=joke) + GE (E.G.=say, for example; “after pushback” indicates reversal); to expunge is to efface, delete, hence “(to) scrap”

*(MOST ARE); “awful” is anagram indicator

Double definition: to steer is to direct, guide AND a steer is a young ox, hence “source of meat”

<p>ADDLE (=bat in table-tennis; “when losing head” means first letter is dropped); to addle is to confuse, muddle

*(AND OHIO FC); “struggles” is anagram indicator

AD (=plug, i.e. advert) + APT (=fitting, appropriate) + O (=over, in cricket scorecard) + <another>R (“end” means last letter only); & lit.

CHA<p> (=lad; “almost” means last letter is dropped) + RIOT (=rave, revelry)

<r>AMEN (=noodle dish; “blows away the starter” means first letter is dropped); people say “amen” or “agreed” to indicate that they share the views just expressed by the speaker

<o>H <n>O <t>R<u>S<t>E<e>S <b>E<i>N<g> S<u>E<d>; “regularly” means alternate letters only are used

SP. (=special) + ROCKET (=salad); a sprocket is a kind of wheel that engages with e.g. a chain, hence “spinner”

PICK (=cream, elite) + LED (=ran, managed); “out of it” can mean drunk, hence “pickled”

Cryptically, a restriction on tough setter (=setting agent) could be described as a “rein for cement”!!

INT (=international) + ROVER (=footballer, as in Blackburn Rovers) + <coconu>T (“last in” means last letter only)

<r>OW (“heading off” means first letter is dropped) + LET (=allowed); as the collective noun for owls is a parliament, an owlet could be described as a “youth in parliament”!

COR (=my, as expression of surprise) + SAGE (=expert, wise)

[B (=bass, in music) in MALE (=fellow)] + C<rave> (“beginning to” means first letter only); Malbec is a French red wine

*(BASIC S<eat>S UNLESS); “on vacation” means middle letters are dropped from anagram, indicated by “flying”; semi- & lit.

PRO (=for, in favour of) + [CI (=Channel Islands) in BOSS (=higher-up, one in senior position)]; a proboscis is a trunk or long snout

NET (=web, mesh) in BRUTE (=savage)

MEDI<t>ATE (=consider, reflect; “leaving time (=T)” means letter “t” is dropped)

NO 1 (=the best) + TALE (=story); “about” indicates reversal

CA (=roughly, circa) + NADA (=nothing); Canada lies to the north of the US, hence is “what’s above Americans”!

Hidden (“of”) in “calF OR GOat”