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Thanks to Ifor for an excellent puzzle. I particularly like the literal portrayal of the highlighted phrase.

Agreed, brendan, IQ has had a run of excellent puzzles of late. Thanks to Ifor, Dysart et al.

Took me a while to spot the highlighted bit. Even though I'd guessed where it was likely to be and what shape it was going to be 😄 Also to see how the column description worked. I'm not too good at end games!

Any chance of a nudge? I have a full grid, the theme word and presume that we are looking at the centre column, but I'm not finding the closed loop, nor do I have any idea who the poet is.

Not the centre column. Look for one that might read cryptically and consider the letters in it.

The theme word is important in finding the closed loop.

It's a very graceful end-game and I enjoyed completing it. But I can't see which column is supposed to point us to the poet (P---), or why his lack of respect for reputations is mentioned. I'm also flummoxed by the puzzle's title.

So perhaps I haven't completed it after all.

IonaCarr, the poet is just an additional little flourish - he's definitely in a column. 'Loosely described' is a clue as much as a description, especially the first word.

The title equates to the common synonym.

I really enjoyed this and I think the endgame works very well - it must been tough constructing the grid.

Thank you Malone. It was only after finding the disguised poet that I realised how clever it was to have found a phrase that summed up his attitude to the rich and powerful. How setters manage to stumble repeatedly upon this sort of serendipity has always amazed me.

IonaCarr, glad you got it all put together. Yes, it was all very clever - even the flourishes!