Devadolly,
I'll add my encouragement to Copelanders for you to remove that pointed hat and come out of the corner, despite the lure of the refreshments there. You have work that must be done!! This has to be finished as Speccie approaches on thursday!!
The last 2 hints from Novalis were very good, and put together, are very complementary. Physicsgirl was close as well after the last hint from Novalis. As for 17ac, it is an anagram, but only in my 2003 Chambers (2003) in the singular entry. Think along how Yiddish makes words plural. BTW I'm saving up to be Jewish. And, I hated Newky Brown, wine was more my style.