Complaints about laws broken by a sailor (9)
I believe the answer is:
cataracts
'complaints' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both states of affairs as well as being plural nouns.
Maybe you can see an association between them that I can't see?
'about laws broken by a sailor' is the wordplay.
'about' becomes 'ca' (abbreviation for 'circa').
'laws' becomes 'acts' (I've seen this before).
'broken by' indicates putting letters inside.
'a sailor' becomes 'tar' (slang term for a sailor).
'ca'+'acts'='caacts'
'caacts' going around 'tar' is 'CATARACTS'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for cataracts that I've seen before include "Waterfalls and eye diseases" , "Large waterfalls and eye defects" , "Eye afflictions produce waterfalls" , "Waterfalls in the eyes?" , "Eye problems causing blurred vision" .)