| RETINA | Aint about to become an eyepiece |
| ONANIST | His son ain't about to be conceived (7) |
| IRRITANT | Grabbing roller, it ain't about to be a nuisance |
| BRILLIANT | Fish ain't about to be shiny! (9) |
| ANTI | Ain't about to be against...(4) |
| RETAIN | Some characters ain't about to save |
| RETICLE | Reference lines on an eyepiece; let rice (anagram) |
| IRIS | Flag seen through an eyepiece (4) |
| PUPIL | Metal rim around an eyepiece |
| SLR | Device with an eyepiece and pentaprism |
| APPERTAIN | Little dog, having lost lead, ain't about to belong (9) |
| AITON | William ___, Kew's first director - ain't about to crush centre of bloom (5) |
| LOUPE | Small magnifying glass used by jewellers, watchmakers etc, usually mounted in an eyepiece (5) |
| THEODORE | The old bishop about to become an archbishop |
| PIONEER | Duke, perhaps, hosts one about to become an explorer |
| BIGOT | Large, and about to become an intolerant fanatic |
| ARIA | A tune about to become an operatic song (4) |
| CODGER | Short man, the doctor: about to become an old eccentric, perhaps (6) |
| EMIGRE | At the end, a Russian fighter is about to become an exile (6) |
| ARGUMENTS | Fights ain't about glue sniffing, initially (9) |
