deadhead

Double def: to clip dead ends off plants to help them grow & fans of The Grateful Dead

Good solve, Jimbo - take a well-deserved belt: ===[**WCF**]===

Thanks, UW. Let's give it right away again.

Horse around small hospital unit with head nurse beginning clean up. (8)

No takers? Here's a clue:
"small hospital unit" clues an abbreviation

Here's a huge, far out WAG!

small hospital unit = ICU
horse = mane?
head nurse = (R)N

manicure = clean up

Now that I've actually typed it, it seems extremely far out!

Looks like you got it Cue; think it's this way:
MA N(urse)ICU RE

I don't see the need for "beginning" (since "head" is indicator).

Plus I can't find manicure=clean up in any dictionary...

Good answer, Cue.
My (probably noodle inducing) thinking was:

Horse = Mare
around = container indicator
small hospital unit = ICU
head nurse = N
beginning = placement (before ICU)
clean up = direct

I've never seen "N" as an abbreviation for "nurse".

As for the def. I didn't look in the dictionary, but isn't "manicuring" your landscaping when you trim and tidy it up?

Ahh..I see; but I think "with" already took care of that:
Nicu = small hospital unit with head Nurse

Oh man, Denis. Looking at your example reminds me that the intensive care unit for babies is the NICU. Could have changed to "baby" or "newborn" hospital unit as well. That'll bug me all day.

Ugh! I don't know if I'd call that a good solve or not but I'll take it. I even had "mare" and "ICU" written on my paper and still didn't get the right combination. Anyway, let's try this one...

Linger in seedy dump being naively optimistic. (6,4)

I think the clue is basically fine, if a bit convoluted. I agree with Jimbo that the word "beginning" was necessary to place the n correctly.

Are you saying that:
Nicu = small hospital unit with head Nurse
is not legal?
One is "with" the other.
I see that frequently used.

NICU is fine and a common abbreviation in the hospital world. Jimbo was using ICU.

Linger in seedy dump being naively optimistic. (6,4)

S(tarry) EYED

Linger = tarry
in = container indicator
dump = anagram indicator for seedy
naively optimistic = direct

Very nice m'lady

Here ya go ===[**WCF**]===

I'm not making myself clear, I see...
Another example:
bellman = guy with ringer ; isn't that ok?
I don't think you need "guy with ringer at beginning"...