| ARCHENEMY | 27-across? Hence one's nemesis (9) |
| BETENOIRE | Back before number one comes in as one's nemesis (4,5) |
| SOAP | (& 28-across) Hence a church leader operated brief dynasty, perhaps (4,5) |
| ARCH | ___-enemy, one's nemesis (4) |
| ECHELON | From French for "ladder", word for a formation of ships or troops, as if in steps, hence one's "rung" in society (7) |
| POCKETBOOK | A cahier, diary, jotter, note-pad etc, small enough to fit into one's placket; a police officer's "PNB"; a wallet for money, hence one's finances/fisc; or, in the US, a lady's clutch or purse (10) |
| ECLAIR | A strikingly named "taste of lightning" literally eaten in a flash, for it's a chocolate-glazed oblong cream cake, hence one's voracious dash (6) |
| HORROR | House investing nothing in basic education? Hence disgust (6) |
| DISOBEY | Don't carry out home improvements? Hence live constrained |
| CHEYENNE | American state capital is NY? Hence managing to smuggle drug (8) |
| VIRGO | Against hearing? Hence, sign here! (5) |
| LACKADAY | Miss 24 hours ? hence expression of regret |
| PEARLS | Believed by the Roman's to have been abundant in British rivers, hence one of the motives for their invasion, lustrous gems created within the shells of mussels and oysters (6) |
| SEDGE | Studied in caricology, a grass-like plant of the wetland habits often frequented by bitterns or herons, hence one of the whimsical words for a collective wedge of said waders (5) |
| NOIR | Black 27 Across? (4) |
| ROOMY | Jumper-maker's 27-across? (5) |
| GIVEIN | *Submit [Opposite of 27-Across?] |
| SEALERS | Which hunters close 27-across? (7) |
| SPY | I-___, game to play during a journey in a 27 Across? (3) |
| SPOTLIGHT | Start to 27 across to be in the public eye (9) |
