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Loom clue: definition is the first 2 words, word play is a 2 letter synonym for 2 words and an unusual synonym for the last word. If you have the answer, look up the last 4 letters in the second entry in Chambers.
18d defeated me too. The definition is clearly the first word, the last word gives the last 4 letters, but I can't see how to get the first letter from the 4 other words. Logically, there should be a 3 letter synonym of the 2nd and 3rd words from which a 2 letter abbreviation is removed, but neither of the 3 letter words available work. I'll be interested to see someone's explanation.

What do you have to do to the second word in the clue to get the one letter you require?

Ah! I hate clues like that.

Thanks Mack, all clear now

In case anyone is interested, I've happened on a facebook group which discusses answers explicitly to these puzzles every week... There is even an account which posts the completed solution quite quickly after it's released.

Thanks, N00b26. There's been previous discussion here - over the years - about that other Forum and the availability of the Listener solution, final grid.

Ah right - I hadn't seen. I see the times for the times blog doesn't talk at all about the competition puzzles until the entry date is up. Does the times mind that the solution goes up for the listener before the entry date?

Noob26, thanks. I think many of the Listener regulars here (I'm not one, I seldom do the puzzle) aren't fans of that site - but there's no need to ever visit it.

The Times probably isn't thrilled about the solution being available so soon, but there's nothing they can do about it. I do wonder, though, about the number of solvers with 'all correct' entries over the year - a cheating person could join them very readily!

Goodness, yes they could indeed though surely there are few who would engage in such pettiness. I submit it if I've managed to do it under my own steam. I'm not sure why the rush to post the solution so quickly.

N00b26, in answer to your question at post 39, I just use a paper copy of Chambers, which is one reason why I appreciate the setters who devise challenging puzzles without an excessive number of obscure words and definitions. I can't be bothered waiting 3 weeks for the solution, so if I get really stuck, I sometimes use the Quick Solve on this website, but it doesn't always help. If the theme is a bit esoteric, I might refer to Wikipedia. That's all.
As for websites that reveal solutions, I don't understand why anyone would use them: they're only cheating themselves. I think this forum gets it right: a helping hand if you need it, but you still have to do the work to get the satisfaction of completing the puzzle.