Could someone offer an explanation for what I imagine is the solution to 9ac., please?
I have 'The plot thickens'.
The clue is 'Things are getting complicated with switched on Willy, the cottager and countryman, among the numbers' (3,4,8)
The word complicated spans 2 lines so is hyphenated thus:com-plicated.
I can see 'the hick' inside 'tens' for the countryman among the numbers.