| STARTINGGUN | One goes off before others go off |
| TIMEBOMB | The setter usually goes off before this (4-4) |
| SPOILSPORT | What a killjoy to go off before the game! (10) |
| WITHOUTAHITCH | Effortlessly, go off before this old hag covers her head going out first on strike (7,1,5) |
| OBOE | Wind instrument leads off before others enter |
| BOLT | Rush off, before, others left tour, initially (4) |
| HOBO | Vagrant starts to head off before others |
| EGGTIMER | Soldiers might be prepared before one goes off (3,5) |
| PREAMBLES | Make introductions before one goes off at an easy pace (9) |
| NEONATAL | Among recent arrivals, one goes off to SA province (8) |
| GOLDENGOOSE | One goes off after precious metal, and gets fairy-tale bird |
| UNCLE | One goes off smutty relation (5) |
| VERGE | Grieve when one goes off to the border (5) |
| BAGGAGE | Saucy girl one goes off on holiday with (7) |
| EYELID | It shuts when one goes off (6) |
| STAGNATES | Set against leaving one, goes off (9) |
| RAILS | Behave strangely when one goes off them? (5) |
| BLANKETS | A lot of coverage for when one goes off? (8) |
| HITSTHECEILING | Checking client's height, one goes off (4,3,7) |
| BASSI | They go low when others go high |
