Special, Sunday 16 Dec 2018, Karthikeyan

Three answers per commenter as usual till 6 PM (Annotations compulosry)
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 starred four letters clue’s wordplay indicates one extra leading/trailing letter not required in its solution; 

for e.g. if the clue reads " Amusement with small wine (4) " wordplay leads us to the answer SPORT; delete the first letter S from SPORT and fit the grid with PORT as the solution;  

The letter deletion could be leading or trailing in the answer got from wordplay; solver has to make the appropriate decision on which letter should be deleted as per the solution grid; Also the resultant four letters arrived at will be meaningful

All such 4-letter clues are in bold font and starred. Rest of the clues are to be solved in normal manner.

2.  Identify two important observations after solving the grid. (Answer to this to be given only after all the clues are solved in the comments section)

ACROSS
8   Derek O'Brien, pretty rough at first in introducing unknown graduates (10)
9   Bloody streak gets a British into trouble (4) *
10 Tough tin battered and fastened by zip (6)
11 Go beyond, dismissed light producer (8)
12 More snail-like carrying a pair of frogs to reach a bloomer (9)
16 Obfuscate breed bit me leaving odd traces (5)
19 Give respect to female born in Kuala Lumpur (4) *
21 No frills ladies' top unitard is so long (5)
22 See, French against court room cry (4) *
23 Absolut product of eggs from Denmark consumed in Virginia (5)
24 A medal won by such a decree in hindsight is heart-rending (9)
27 A gun fall shot by a winter sport (8)
30 Wild animal's seesaw act possibly (6)
32 Colourful unknown variable about bird (4) *
33 From 1st July post office tax dues perhaps should be placed side by side (10)

DOWN
1   Half of the team in the capacity of a crop destroyer (6)
2   Hungary islamic prayer call for cantor (4) *
3   Candlelike half warm chromosomes (4)
4   Saw a mirror image from the bottoms (4) *
5   Credit without interest given for ancient instrument (5)
6   Six minicomputers of yore process the cause for malaria (4) *
7   Understand the crux of every piece while playing (8)
13 Lunatic France wins Belgium in fight (5)
14 End of import sanction for wine from Europe (4) *
15 Supplementing, say, family's input (5)
17 Flees directionlessly to locate a marine animal (5)
18 Aussie aboriginal spirit killed an article to transmute into goose (4) *
20 Modern heathen's one frightful commander in borders of Pakistan (8)
25 Ajinkya Rahane ate rotis in some measure to become trimmer (6)
26 Muslim pilgrim is leading horses after Jeddah jackpot is flagged off (5)
28 Coagulate outside Arizona into Turkish music  (4) *
29 Slippery part of onyx offered is brought back (4)
30 Every other able faculty is praiseworthy (4) *
31 Bowled by a high ball, scored nothing (4)

Across Lite version can be accessed at KARTHIK 7

Enjoy.