Crossword Genius

Satirist, a sir able to be funny (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

rabelais

'satirist' is the definition.
(I know that Rabelais is a satirist)

'a sir able to be funny' is the wordplay.
'to be funny' indicates anagramming the letters.
'a'+'sir'+'able'='asirable'
'asirable' anagrammed gives 'RABELAIS'.

(Other definitions for rabelais that I've seen before include "French writer" , "Francois ......., 16th century French satirist - sort of base liar" , "Sixteenth century French author of Gargantua and Pantagruel" , "Creator of Gargantua" , "bawdy writer" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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