Special, Sunday 23 Sep 2018, Karthikeyan

Three answers per commenter as usual till 6 PM (Annotations compulsory)
Please provide all your answers in one comment.

PREAMBLE

This crossword variant has two extra features added to the standard THC and the instructions to solve are given below:

1. Each four letter clue’s wordplay indicates one or two leading/trailing extra letters not required in its solution; 

for e.g. if the clue reads "Prove most obese doesn't have head (4)"
Wordplay leads us to the answer ATTEST; delete first 2 letters AT from ATTEST and fit the grid with TEST as the solution.

The letter deletion could be one or two either in the beginning or the end of the answer got from wordplay; solver has to make the decision on whether the deletion is starting letter(s) or ending letter(s); Also the resultant four letters arrived at will be meaningful.

All such 4-letter clues are starred and they are 10 in count. Across: 8,10,29,31;    Down: 1,3,7,26,27,28

Rest of the clues are to be solved in normal manner.

2. Taken in order, clockwise from the top left corner, on all the four sides, the letters from the outermost squares upon completion spell out seven-word phrase. 

Since this is a group solving exercise the phrase meaning is  also given and it is an extra clue to be solved;

Clue for the phrase: "trapped equally between two alternatives (7,3,5,3,3,4,3)" (Answer to this to be given only after all clues are solved in the comments)

ACROSS
8   College graduates jumping out on a limb without boot* (4)
9   That woman playing with the bird (5)
10 One bat fly starts off elegantly* (4)
11 Slips while beheading rowdies (6)
12 Every other place in Cairo grimly echo smoking water pipe (8)
13 Soldier comes in at last, flying like an arrow (8)
16 One of the same clan blowing the top of big gun (6)
18 Einstein's field photos capture shy reaction (7)
19 One deceased surrounded by darling daughter is bloated (7)
22 Forbid some frozen joints (6)
24 Maybe get broken into many bits (8)
25 Hugger overturned vehicle in cinder (8)
27 Careless Kasporav, when resigns, becomes Fischer's successor (6)
29 Doctor at the eye centre, source of light intitally prescribes deodorant* (4)
30 Embrocate some Indian elephant (5)
31 A mirth tuned a musical string* (4)

DOWN
1   Whimper about writing a short publicity notice* (4)
2   Fuses half of them with mortals (8)
3   Monetary unit like this for Ionian ancestor* (4)
4   Long twisted inside, twisty improperly (7)
5   Cherishing victory, slipped to fifth position prostrating (10)
6   Flag upheld in Nowgong is news (6)
7   Laymen upset by spooner's stiff joint* (4)
14 With both openers dismissed, was then getting pallid (5)
15 Sundar Pitchai for one bowled a googly to Trent coach (10)
17 Bird call or posting from @narendramodi (5)
20 Not at home, aberration damaged botanical gardens (8)
21 Rising temperature envelopes master, became known (7)
23 Sudden spate of turbulent Hudson river as the diver swam out (6)
26 Doctor treated sore condition to a greater extent* (4)
27 Enthusiastically make alternate plays after fractured knee* (4)
28 Many have said it's ethical* (4)

Across Lite version can be accessed at KARTHIK 5

Enjoy