| SLACKING | Not working very hard when there's a quarter missing |
| METAL | It's typically hard when there's only bad meat left (5) |
| SWEATING | Is working very hard, like toils, for poor wages (8) |
| INDIAMAN | Trader wearing sparkling decoration, a quarter missing |
| HARDATIT | Working very busily (4,2,2) |
| SALVABLE | Have balls repaired? Not hard, when can be recovered (8) |
| AMERICAN | Rickety chair's not hard when sat in so let it be ___ that"ll do for US (8) |
| HEIGHTEN | Hard when you first vote to ignore one European increase (8) |
| ASTONISH | Surprise is hard when following Villa (8) |
| CONGEALS | Becomes hard when half the opposition party's on short leash, perhaps (8) |
| SPRINGCLEANING | 'The Mole had been working very hard all the morning ___' (Wind in the Willows) (6-8) |
| ADAMANT | Ancient gardener, one maybe working very hard (7) |
| BEAVERING | State controlled by person working very hard (9) |
| SAVING | Working very hard but overlooking large economy? (6) |
| TOILING | working very hard |
| DIVIDE | Figures there's a quarter to share out (6) |
| ONCEINABLUEMOON | A Tory gets in no income irregularly, working very occasionally (4,2,1,4,4) |
| MOROCCO | Way of working: very ornate, disregarding one old leather (7) |
| HOODLUM | Crook causing stink about piles with quarters missing (7) |
| UNARMED | Without a scratch -- not hard when opponent is this? (7) |
