Crossword Help Forum
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‘One’ = I
‘Essential’ is here a noun.

Ok I get it now: mutt!

obviously being v thick but I still can't see parsing for 6d despite mathi's explanation ...

It is sitcom, contained inside the clue!

doh! - thank you.

Did anyone solve 6d directly from the clue? Or did you (like me) just guess the answer from the crossers and then try to relate it back to the clue (without success in my case)?

In other words: is this clever clue in the good or the bad sense of "clever"?

No, not directly! Got it from from the crossers and then figured it out. Yes, it is a clever clue that can make us feel dumb! Most clues were somewhat difficult in this puzzle, like the hints for gorilla or giant.

Yes, there were several other clues where I could make no sense of the wordplay, even after I'd guessed the answer in the style of a quick crossword. Gorilla and giant were among the references that passed me by.

Last one in for me is 15d Appliance as it should be without French president (8)

I have ?O?L?D?E. Are my crossers right? What is the definition? Any hints gratefully received.

Thanks for all your hints for 1ac etc. I found this crossword hard and still haven't managed to parse fully several of the answers. I'd never heard of 17,10

Roof, the definition comes late; but Dorothy asks how could you tell?