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Been a bit busy this week but finally got to the end. Bit of a grind for me this one - had to solve 3/4 of the clues with not much crossing help before I finally figured out what was going on.

Nice idea though and neatly done, no issues with the clues from me and again no maddening grid stare, so overall a thumbs up from me.

Bobbycollins, I’m fine with that principle and applaud it. My opinion is that changing a letter of some of the definitions to cause obfuscation is a failure to demonstrate it.

Hello, useby. Again, surely that's the point? It's a common device used in all of the advanced thematic cryptics (Listener, EV and Inquisitor) so I am surprised by your objection.

Apologies, useby. I've reread your original post and realise that you simply don't enjoy this type of device😃

No probs bobbycollins. I still appreciated the cleverness of the setter.

Can someone help me out with the parsing of 16ac “Borrows wild dogs being short of a penny earlier”.

Pretty sure I have the right answer, and know what the definition is, but the wordplay elements are a little obscure to me.

Louweed, 16a is a word for Indian wild dogs, minus an abbreviation for a penny, in a previous currency.

Thanks for that much appreciated etc

Enjoyed this one: a nice simple rubric and some fun clues. I managed to guess the modification from one answer to modify and two crossing answers — I’m still not sure quite how! — long before figuring out the instruction, and that helped with back calculating. Some definitions a bit stretchy, but not so much that I didn’t get there in the end. Nice one.