Crossword Genius

Personal hesitation to expose proprietor? (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

owner

'proprietor?' is the definition.
(I know that proprietor can be written as owner)

'personal hesitation to expose' is the wordplay.
'personal' becomes 'own' (eg one's own possessions are personal possessions).
'hesitation' becomes 'wavering' (synonyms).
'to expose' means to look at the middle letters (I've seen 'exposed' mean this (outside letters removed)).
The centre of 'wavering' is 'er'.
'own'+'er'='OWNER'

(Other definitions for owner that I've seen before include "Person with legal title to something" , "Legal possessor" , "Title-holder" , "Person having property" , "possessive type" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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