I wondered why I kept seeing MOUSSE in the corner rather than
MOUSE; wasn't just wishful thinking after all! :)
Because of the clue, I knew
SHITE25DVulgar British word for something of very poor quality (there better be a good reason for this being here!)
[-----] played a part, but didn't notice the crossing
OBIT34ANewspaper notice, for short (related to the Latin word for "he/she died" which may or may not be helpful!)
[----] clue was emphatic also.
This was great! (Although I needed early nudges to get me going and later ones to clarify.)
Thanks, Ben!