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getting caught --> homophone for entrepreneur

All completed without much difficulty after 2 x 1/2 hour sessions (my lunch break from work split into 2).

1d phrase new to me. Parsing 24 was a faff but got there eventually. COD 19 for it’s readability and truth!

Thoroughly enjoyable even if it did keep bringing to mind the amoral ghoul that is MM.

Thanks Tramp and thanks to Brendan.

Well I'm finding this hard. I think because I'm conscious that I've lots of other things that I should be doing. The anagrams aren't even straight forward. I've never heard of 1d. I got 8d from the crossers of the second word and worked out the anagram to get the first word.
But I don't think I'm on Tramp's wavelength. I've all the crossers for 17d, but no idea what word would fit. Unfortunately, I'm a long way off getting the crossers for 9ac apart from first letter. So far my FOI was 18d and my COD is 19ac. But I still have lots to do. I think I'll do a spot of ironing before dinner, which my husband is cooking, and then try some more.

Rocky, I hope it wasn't the Cross Country you've been stuck on. Dreadful trains, always crowded.

Brendan and Jono, the 6D solution might make more sense if you substitute the word cake for the second word.

Ahhh thank you Abz, and that would also explain the question mark a the end of the clue.

I don't think that is needed, abz - "borrow" gives the first word, "steal" the second (loosely). I agree that I wouldn't keep a nail file in one though - it might well rust!

Well, I am an idiot. Once I spotted my mistake with 17ac (I'd put in Woeful with a double f - I know you don't even spell it like that), I made steady progress and have finished it over dinner. It's amazing how much one silly error can prevent one from thinking clearly. I don't much like 24 ac for "reasonable" and haven't parsed the second part of the word. I also can't parse 4d, though I'm happy with the definition.

My LOI was 13 ac and my COD remains 19ac.

I expect next week, we might get a special crossword for Christmas but my sister is visiting, so I may not get time to do it. But maybe it will be Christmas Eve instead when I expect I'll be busy cooking. So I wish you all a Happy Christmas.

Hi roof

If you don't think 24a equates to "reasonable", you may have got the wrong answer. It parses as a 5 letter word for a bar around a 2 letter word for something fighters ( of a particular kind) wear.

4d is 5, then 4 missing an initial H.

Happy Christmas to you too, Roof!
And I think you are correct in thinking we are probably due a jumbo Maskarade offering next weekend.

GWR Roof. The new timetable was introduced on Saturday. Arrived late and overcrowded. Left Exeter even later and standing only. Then had to crawl out of Exeter due to a level crossing not working. My third trip in a row where I will be doing delay and repay.