Two Little Ducks by Ben Trovato

Puzzle explanation

Across entries read right to left, like Hebrew writing, and included letters of the Hebrew alphabet, either as unclued entries or hidden in clued entries. More Hebrew letters appeared as the last letters of the clues (which would be the initials if read right to left). The remaining two were BETH and AYIN, to be written below the grid. These were accepted whether written forwards or backwards, though there was no requirement to write them “thematically”.

The title is a conventional bingo call for 22, the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation
Across
10 TINFOIL TOIL around INF(o)
12 IMPALA (AIM + PAL) with first letter moved to the end
13 ALATE 2 meanings
14 ESTER (RIPS STEVE) * − SPIV *
16 NUNSHIP NUN + SHIP
18 DROVES DRONES with V for N
19 HARD-GOT DOG * in HART
21 DOGGY DOG + GY(m)
24 APROPOS (POOR SAP) *
26 POIROT (TORI + OP) <
29 TAGMEME AGM in (TE + ME)
31 ILLITE TILLITE − T
32 REQUEST REST around QUE
33 RINSE R + IN SE
Down
1 HEARETH E in HEARTH; ref. 1 Samuel 3:9
2 PHLEBOTOMIST HELP * + BO + TO + MIST
3 LAPSE homophone of LAPS
4 ASMEAR ME in ÅSAR
5 KLIPDAS (SAD + P + ILK) <
6 HI-FIS HIS around IF
7 EFTS FT in (E + S)
8 AILUROPHILIA AIL + OUR * + PHIL + I + A
9 STAND 2 meanings
11 NANOGRAM (AN < + RAM) around NOG
15 TIGER EYE TIGER + EYE
17 HEY HEY + DAY = HEYDAY
20 HOOTERS (s)HOOTERS; ie, “beheaded”
22 DAY-GIRL DARINGLY * − N
23 COG 2 meanings
25 PELTED PEL(t) + TIED − I
26 TENTH TENT “H”
27 PATED (E(urope) D(epicted)) after PAT
28 PEISE PEE around IS
30 MAUL (i)M(proving) (f)A(st) (r)U(nning) (S)L(av)
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