Across
First of three hags moves jerkily (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
First letter of T [hree] + WITCHES (hags).
Cook's left Endeavour exhausted - it's dark and often bitter (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
PORT (left in nautical terminology, so for example Captain James Cook’s word for left) + E [ndeavou] R (exhausted = inner letters emptied out). The reference to HMS Endeavour is perhaps enough of a clue to suggest this particular Cook. Porter = a term for dark beer.
Space making way for genesis of baby in ladies? (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
WOM [en] (ladies), with the EN (en = typographical term for a medium-width space) making way for the first letter (genesis) of B [aby]. Clue-as-definition.
Way of feeling balls (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
Double definition. Component of the body that transmits sensation = how we feel; or nerve = balls = slang for confidence, as in “I didn’t think you had the nerve to do it”.
Take part in lap dancing lady's finale (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
Anagram (dancing) of LAP , then the last letter (finale) of [lad] Y . Play, as a verb = to take a part on stage or film, or to take part in a sports match.
Special forces error tracking arsenic killer (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
SAS (abbreviation for Special Air Service = British Army special forces unit) + SIN (error), after (tracking) AS (As = chemical symbol for arsenic).
Doctor replacing edges of worn knife (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
[r] AGGE [d] (worn = frayed from long wear), with the outer letters (edges) replaced by D + R (Dr = abbreviation for doctor).
National run lacking heart (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
SC [o] OT (run = move quickly), with the middle letter (heart) removed. National = someone belonging to a particular nation, in this case Scotland.
Republican after new First Lady? Surely not! (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
R (abbreviation for Republican), after N (abbreviation for new) + EVE (the first lady in the Bible).
Trumps expressing loudly the workings of humanity? (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
[f] ARTS (trump = slang for fart), without F (f = abbreviation for Italian forte = musical term for loudly).
Maybe Macbeth and Lady Macbeth tried to do it while sleeping? (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
A reference to Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking speech, including the phrase “Out, damned spot!”: she’s trying to wash a stain off her hand, or (whimsically) to DE-SPOT it. A violent tyrannical ruler, such as Macbeth becomes when he finds that one murder leads to several more in an attempt to cover it up.
Unresolved issue is eased after moving back north (5,3)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
LOOSENED (eased), with the N (abbreviation for north) moved one place back (towards the end).
Ground fruit I set aside on the counter (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
FRU [i] T with the I left out (set aside), reversed (on the counter). As in “on home turf” = “on home ground” = at one’s usual location.
John in bed evacuated bodily fluid (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
LOO (john = slang for toilet), in B [e] D (evacuated = emptied out).
Son packing daughter's trunk (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
BOY (son), containing (packing = slang for carrying, especially in reference to firearms) D (abbreviation for daughter). Trunk = body = torso.
Ghost essentially taking oddly vacated seat in feast? (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
BANQU [et] (feast), with the middle letter (essentially) of [gh] O [st] replacing ET, which we get by removing the odd-numbered letters (oddly vacated . . .) of [s]E[a]T. Clue-as-definition: in the play, Banquo’s ghost appears to sit in Macbeth’s seat during a feast.
Liable to take off clothes assuming good man is hot (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
KIT (clothes, especially sportswear or military uniform), inserted into (assuming = taking on) ST (abbreviation for saint = good man), then IS + H (abbreviation for hot). Skittish = excitable and unpredictable.
Down
Desperate now SOS grows faint (6)
Go nuts when upset (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
BATS (nuts = slang for crazy), reversed (upset = upwards in a down clue). As in “have a stab” = “have a go” = make an attempt.
Flower maiden falling for knight's nobility? (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
THA [m] ES (river = something that flows = flow-er), with the M (abbreviation for maiden, in cricket scoring) replaced by N (knight, in chess notation). Thane = old name of a rank in the aristocracy.
Accepting a bit of silver Judas set up King? (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
RAT (Judas = slang for a traitor), containing the first letter (a bit) of S [ilver], reversed (set up = upwards in a down clue). Slavic title for a monarch, equivalent to King, though the derivation is from Latin Caesar = emperor.
One distributing crap odds and who's opened a book? (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
SP (abbreviation for starting price = the odds for betting on a particular horse at the start of a race) + READER (someone who has opened a book). I assume Lette means muck-spreader = a device for spreading manure on a field. The definition could just be “one distributing”, but then I’m not sure what “crap” is doing; I wondered about odds in the dice game craps, but I’m not sure that’s relevant.
One who's paid for playing power? (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
PRO (short for professional = someone who’s paid for playing music or sports) + P (abbreviation for power). I think this is a clue-as-definition: in rugby, a prop is typically a big powerful player.
Soviet consort beginning to belt out warning (3,5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
RED (slang for communist, especially Soviet as in “Red Army”) + AL [b] ERT (Prince Consort to Queen Victoria), without the B which is the beginning letter of B[elt].
Behave badly and do lines at university (3,2)
Book of verse to be wrapped by Christmas (5)
A place to rest finally following good, all-night party (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
RAVE (all-night party) following G (abbreviation for good).
Revealing parts of underwear use a catch from below to provide breathtaking opportunities? (8)
Jotter from Spooner's craft corner (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
Spoonerism of BOAT NOOK = a corner containing water-craft?
Where one might see matinee idol very high on cocaine (3,3)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
Anagram (high = intoxicated) of IDOL + V (abbreviation for very), then C (abbreviation for cocaine). Theatre in London, where one might see a matinee performance of a play.
One no longer invested in stud supply (6)
Note Queen's typical queries (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
FA (a note in the musical sol-fa scale) + Q’S (Q = abbreviation for queen). Abbreviation for “frequently asked questions”.
Books about American exile (4)
Some scrub at home to get cleaner? (4)
Type letters or click words in the clue