| WYVERN | Stated reason French writer briefly creates heraldic beast |
| TAVERNA | A French writer briefly visiting army eating-place |
| RATPOISON | Reason French guards pick up a killer (3-6) |
| ISSUANT | Having only the upper part showing, as a heraldic beast |
| UNICORN | Tunic ornament bears heraldic beast |
| PASSANT | Give the OK to insect as heraldic beast? (7) |
| USWARDRANZEL | Heraldic beast is first in detailed fleur-de-lis |
| ANON | By an unknown writer, briefly |
| NAOMI | Biblical character, writer briefly embracing a mystic syllable (5) |
| MARKED | Made an impression on writer briefly with director (6) |
| QUAIL | Old writer briefly covers a game |
| SNL | Tina Fey was its first female head writer, briefly |
| TEQUILA | Old writer briefly tucks into one drink or another (7) |
| PLATEAU | Epistle writer briefly has hidden behind table (7) |
| TEQUILASLAMMER | Writer briefly during meal can booze (7,7) |
| TRAVERS | Female writer, briefly cross |
| LION | Heraldic beast |
| INNS | Pubs or taverns, each with a sign often bearing a picture of a heraldic beast such as a dragon, eagle, griffin, hart, lion, unicorn or wyvern (4) |
| SEADOG | A Jack tar, old salt, pirate or sailor; a white rainbow as seen by a mariner; an antiquated word for a shark or a seal; or, a heraldic beast in the form of a talbot with a beaver's tail (3,3) |
| SPECIFIC | Writer briefly consumed by sci-fi compilation from the start that's explicit (8) |
