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Thank you - got it and found trickster

Macavity, glad I could help.

I really need some help with this one.

I have most of the grid filled.....but sadly mostly with guesswork, so I have very little idea of the 'headwords/subheads'. In fact I have not much idea about what they could even be.

It would be a great help if someone could complete and parse 31a for me
Severely criticise boys getting drunk in cathedral city.
I have ?IPOD

My guess at the trickster has three letters which are not checked and three which are.

I could also do with a big shove towards the word that has to be altered.

Or should I decide that I have made a complete Horlicks of this one and retire hurt ?

Thanks

fred

There's no 's' in boys, Fred108 -
Severely criticize (=rip) b[o]y (= 'next to') drunk (=on) - Ripon is a market town/Cathedral city in Yorkshire [the 'o' is extra].

Hi Fred,

Don't despair:-)

31a - 3 letter "severely criticise" followed by 2 letter "b(o)y getting drunk" (I would never have guessed this definition in a million years, but it's in Chambers) - definition is "Cathedral city" (an actual one). Your D is wrong.

The trickster is in the top half about midway in the row,

If you look up the 4th headwords, beginning MG in Chambers it will give you a very precise definition/instruction as to what you need to do (lower half)

You're looking for two words from the final 11 clues (7+4) for which there's an entry in Chambers (the first word is Irish slang for the first word of the title).
The trickster has only one checked letter (the last one).

Thanks Brendan. I can see 31a now.
Had the wrong girl at 24d.

I'm afraid I am despairing though, as I am really not sure what is meant by 'headwords'.....which is handicapping me more than a little.

My trickster is almost exactly where you say, but the previous posts about checked and unchecked letters have me doubting myself.

Sigh......

fred

Thank you, Dr xxx.

I now see the word to be changed.

Still pondering the trickster, though as my thoughts are clearly wrong.

OK

Now I can see the word to be changed and how to change it.

But I am really flummoxed by the 6 letter trickster with only the last letter checked.

I'll keep at it for another little while .

Thanks guys. You have really helped.

I finished it but did not understand the 2nd word in the title - I get the first