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Hi all. Enjoyed this mix of easy and challenging.
24 A took a while but then made me LOL, as did 18D.
Can't work out 23A, 4D or the second word (& parsing) of 9A. Hints welcome.
Can't see what might have alternative solution in SE??

Just got 4 and 9, and I think I know the solution to 23, but still can't parse it

barryc - this has been much discussed ... think of the two as a number.

My alternative to 21 was a word ending in k, but it hasn’t seemed to trouble anyone so that’s fine.
For 23 read “two” as “2”…

Thanks, Prospero. So is the answer a 4 letter singular which is also a homonym?

And thanks, Jono. All clear now

Found this on the challenging side, thanks to Everyman.
23 was one of my co-COD picks with 15 and 13.
FOI 9 and LOI 13.

jono @14
yes, that works fine, apart from the crossers....

Thanks to Everyman for a much more challenging puzzle than usual.

L:ike Jono, I initially thought of "tack" for 23d and in 5d I assume the definition must be "monarchy taking part in" but "taking part in" also forms part of the wordplay which I find confusing - or, as is more likely, have I misunderstood it?

Hi Brendan, I took the definition to be just “monarchy”