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Hi everyone

Started at 3.00pm today hoping for an easy puzzle, especially after getting three on first read through including 25ac. Had to stop and do some chores; now for the hard part. Disappointed that I'm going to find it difficult. At least I've got some hints from stream above. I'll be back.

Hi Roof,

I think it is on the difficult but, let's face it, when has that deterred us in the past! 😀

I agree with Chris that some of the clues are a bit loose, case in point ...

10a - Why not INDOOR?

Home/IN - Party/DO - Private/OR (Ordinary Ranks)

Brendan, chrise, I found several of the shorter (4 and 6 letter) clues dubious, they've been mentioned in the thread.
Naturally, one person's "looseness" may be another's "clever misdirection" 🙂, but I'm leaning to the former.
Still enjoyed the puzzle apart from those exceptions.

Well I had to use a missing letter solver for 9A and 12A (although I have seen the same word used a few times now) and I can't parse what I have for 2D, for the first word I have something which cheerleaders use?

I can't parse 5A either although it means both "escort" and "in darkness", can't see where Bill is involved though?

I guess what cheerleaders use is a word for padding something gently so that fits I guess.

5a Bill is the middle two letters.

If it makes anyone feel better, Tramp on Twitter… “I think, on reflection, a couple of clues are too tricky”

Hi PS,

2d - Yes, cheerleaders use them.

5a - "bill" is the middle 2 letters inside 4 letter "escort" as in 'I'll escort you to your seats'

PS. PS (see what I did there 😀), if you think the answer and "escort" are synonyms, I guess you've probably been the victim of the odd restraining order 😂

I jest, of course.

Yeah I think I have used Bill for that before, although I still think it's unnecessary really because the entire word does mean escort as well.

Shouldn't what cheerleaders use be 3-3 or 3,3 though!

Can't you use the word to mean "follow closely" though? That's what I meant when I said it means the same as escort.