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Hi Jono

OK. I may have heard that phrase in the past because I got it when you said that but I don't think I would have done unaided.

I didn't find this as easy to finish as many here but a really enjoyable solve.

18 and 21 were both new words on me and I think 15a would be my COD

Thanks to Picaroon for some tough but fair clues and very well constructed in many cases.

Well, I did manage to get quite a few more once I applied myself to some of the hints here. Indeed, I relised that I had got three on my first read through, but I wasn't sure if they were right. I've a few more to get, especially19ac and 20d in se corner

I haven't got the last word of 1ac or the first word of 8d. Any hints for those would be most welcome.

19ac ?O?M???N I'm not sure of the last letter and I've still no idea what "jollies" are. I'll try googling it.
20d ??L ?I?L I've got a possible answer but I'm not sure of first word.

On the plus side and showing off I know both words in 21d 18d

a hint for 12ac would also be helpful.

12: definition "make good", parses as an anagram of [2 words in the clue plus a 2-letter abbrev. for a third word (the one with apostrophe)].

Hint for 1a: third word is part of a long anagram, but the phrase reminded me of Don Quixote.

8d: second word parses as 1 "Conservative" + 5 "PM shortly".

Thanks geeker. But I've got the second word (thanks for the parsing), but I haven't got the first word of 8d.

I realised 1ac is some sort of anagram, but couldn't work out which words were in the anagram. "..in the air" doesn't fit.

I've got 12ac now thanks.

Sorry roof, I misread your post re. 8d.

It's part of a longer construction (inclusion - "owned"), but the first word of 8 parses as 4 "present" + 4 "car ".

Hi roof. I parsed the second and third words of 1a as (2, 4) [i suffering with a single letter for [i son between the (2) and the (4). Hope that helps.

Sorry, I messed up the formatting. ‘suffering’ and ‘son’ were meant to be in italics

Sorry Davel, I still don't get it.

I'm looking for 2,5 for the second and third words. I was putting "on" in for second word, but think I'll try "in" instead, but that still leaves me with the five letter word to find. I haven't got 6d or 10ac, which doesn't help. I've just got 10ac. I'm convinced that 6d is a slang word for smack, but I can't remember it.

But I just got it. I haven't worked out the parsing yet, but I will.

Thank you everybody for your help.

FOI 1d
Loi 1ac
COD 1d