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Finished but for 24ac. I cannot make head nor tail of the clue.

Hi Dscutler, the definition is "waterproof" (material), and it's a 4 letter word meaning "idiot" reversed (it might even be considered a bit of a 'rude' word!).

The actual answer is a shortened form of the more usual 9 letter form of the word.

Just for clarity, I meant the word meaning "idiot" might be considered a bit rude - I'm not sure if that was clear from my previous reply.

I am very sorry...I should have said 23 across. 24 across I got very quickly. I need to change my glasses....or improve my typing, but at eighty -five one can be allowed a tendency to error...

No problem, it can happen to the best of us:-)

23a Definition is a "comedian" and it's 2 letters from "(heartless) joke" around/describes + an anagram/higher of "echelons".

PS. If I can type and solve crosswords even half as good as you at 85, I'll be more than happy:-)

Thank you very much Brendan...got 23a thanks to you

Glad you got it sorted:-)

Really enjoyed today.

1ac is a cracker! I guessed the answer - and had it confirmed by all the down answers - about 15 minutes before I worked out the parsing. And smiled when I got it.

The parsing of 13d is convoluted. I had “Ail” for “pain
L and couldn’t work out how the other letters worked around it. Inflamed rear I initially thought was either the letter “D” (last letter of inflamed) or an anagram of “rear”, both of which semi-worked in the clue. Again only after guessing and inserting the word (and checking its spelling!) did the full parsing appear.

Now I’m off to put my 13d to use! First dry Sunday in aged. Suffice to say that the wet weather has suppressed that “get fitter” New Year resolution, and as such my 13d will probably spend a lot of the ride on the left... 🙂

Yes, 13d was a pain to parse. Here a pain is ‘a ill’ and other two synonyms for regret and inflamed go backwards. Also you have to use a somewhat nonstandard spelling for 14a to get 13d right.