| LOLLIES | I'm laughing with Tales For Suckers (7) |
| FLATTERTO | & 2D Seem promising but ultimately disappoint with tale for detective novel (7,2,7) |
| MYSIDES | "I'm laughing so much it hurts!" |
| CRACKUP | Burst out laughing with quip at college (5,2) |
| TOLSTOY | Writer showing reversal of fate with tale lacking right (7) |
| OBLIQUE | Indirect question penned by old boy taken with tale (7) |
| WAGTAIL | Humorous person with tale reportedly of a songbird (7) |
| MAMMALS | Mother looks out for suckers perhaps? |
| OCTOPUS | Sporting cop-outs for sucker all at sea? (7) |
| ADDISON | Chris ___, comedian-actor; author of 2006 poetry volume Cautionary Tales for Grown-Ups (7) |
| SQUIFFY | see 16ac, Do they compose spirited tales for other people? (12) |
| RESIDUE | see 16ac, Do they compose spirited tales for other people? (12) |
| NUREYEV | see 16ac, Do they compose spirited tales for other people? (12) |
| EXPLOIT | see 16ac, Do they compose spirited tales for other people? (12) |
| CHOPPER | see 16ac, Do they compose spirited tales for other people? (12) |
| OPINION | see 16ac, Do they compose spirited tales for other people? (12) |
| BOOKLET | see 16ac, Do they compose spirited tales for other people? (12) |
| CORONET | see 16ac, Do they compose spirited tales for other people? (12) |
| FALLING | see 16ac, Do they compose spirited tales for other people? (12) |
| SHACKLE | see 16ac, Do they compose spirited tales for other people? (12) |
