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Mooncow, 8d is a pun. An 'arab' in need would appear to be poor.

An extra post to get past the glitch of early posts on a new page not showing.

Ooh, interesting construction. Took me a moment even now! It’s the word I had thought it should be, but I’d been trying to get something from “in the red” as my poor, which obviously didn’t work. Thanks mattrom.

Mooncow, the rubric is accurate about a CE (which can be a word or a phrase) having replaced a single word in the definition. We are seeing the altered form, not the original.

A great shame about the ambiguity in an otherwise excellent puzzle.

23a A pleasing coincidence: the Japanese ambassador has just described Scouse as 'boss scran' on the BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp3d4k005wno

Just stuck on a few:
16A---nothing seems to fit, so I can't back-engineer it.
25D---is the definition the last two words with an adjustment? I thought drachma and lepta might help, but I can't see it.
(It doesn't help that I'm unconvinced by my 8D, even with people's kind hints.)
Can anyone offer a nudge please?

Ignore me re 16A---just seen it. D'oh.

You’re right about the structure of 25d, but you need a different coin. Think Charon

Thanks Quisling. I'd just spotted it!
(I'd got an error in 35A which threw me out.)
All done now, apart from understanding my answer for 8D.

You’ll know that your grid answer for 8d only has 3 consonants. The CE given by the wordplay is a charade, a two letter abbreviation for Arab contained by a four letter word for lack, necessity. So the phrase Arab ** **** would describe it