This might have to be my favourite DA clue of all time, a clue so good it surpasses Gold and deserves to be considered Platinum.
4 down: Notable bird-watcher (as he put it) an intimate bedfellow (7)
I got to thinking of Peeping Tom watching Godiva-like birds and spent a lot of time thinking SNOOPER must be the answer. Somehow, and fittingly reminiscent of a spoonerism, I flipped some letters and stumbled on SPOONER and squealed with delight.
Genius.
I didn’t look for the solution but suggest the answer was SPOONER for a couple of reasons:
SPOONER was a notable word-botcher.
A SPOONER is an intimate bedfellow.
I think there is no need to spoonerise it. A snooper is not really “notable” so far as I can see.
But I do agree it’s an AU-right clue. Not quite on board with the Pt concept though.
Yes, definitely the answer was SPOONER.
It’s just that I got to SPOONER after thinking SNOOPER was the answer.
Ha. Right-oh.
AS, perhaps you haven’t yet realised : in your explanation of this clue, your second SNOOPER should surely read SPOONER!
Indeed I hadn’t!
Thanks, RB.