1 left this week

Sense opening for haggling after disappointment in contract.(4,4,4)
*O*E/*O*N/***H

think of contracting the flu...

I've got 'come down with. but can't really make sense of it

disappointment = come down

Sense = wit +
opening for haggling = h

after tells you the with is after the come down.

Thanks TTP you're right it was the 'sense' bit I was struggling with.

I kept wanting to make 'nose' fit for the first word.

This weeks teasers

Someone advising caution about crooked regional employee (4,6)

*A**/*A****

About time detain a fool who supported former president (9)

**A***I*E

Watched and heard two-tone horse, initially silent? (9)

*******E*D

Reaganite maybe?

Yes.

Re = about
a
nit = fool
age = time

Something wrong with your letters there - I think it's eyeballed

Nice clue - two tone horse = piebald - silent p = sounds like eyeballed.

Sorry ttp I should have amended it when I finally worked it out. Nice. clue though as you say.

Only stuck on two this so far this week.

Female American Writer (6)

****I*

(I'm sure I've seen this clue before somewhere)


Doesn't eat salad (6)

****E*

The last letter of the first clue is the 1st letter of the second.

Cheers Jimenato

Second one is Leaves, which should make the first one Pencil, but I can't work out why...

Bingo, it is of course leaves.

Now the apology, American writer clue begins with A and not the first letter of the other as I said previously.

A - - - I -

Is that right?

Yep, pretty sure it is.

I think the answer may be 'Amelia'

AM/ELIA

All I can get is Austin, but that would make it a pretty poor clue IMHO.