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Thanks to all for encouraging nudges that I was on the right track.

Also - livs, that was a really good idea. Seemed a bit tedious at first but actually did the trick. Got the last three words quite easily, and then spotted the rest.

Submitted it now - maybe this month I'll be lucky! I've done it every month since it started but have never won. I suspect I'm not alone.

I figure the rubric applies to nine clues - not ten.

Prospero - I have ten. I just recounted to make sure. What makes you say nine?

Definitely applies to 10 clues Prospero(though only nine numbers)

One of the numbers appears across AND down.

Yeah I got there in the end - one goes both ways - but couldn't get back into this site to apologise ....
like you cmk (one on from cmj?) I've completed every month, usually on the first day and, I think, always right. I think there should at least be a hall of fame!

I agree with prospero's initial observation . There are only 8 p????? numbers in the whole grid and one of these applies to two answers. i.e total of 9 . Cannot be 10.

Not so.
The 9 relevant numbers are:

2,3,5,7,11,13,17,19 & 23(which has 2 answers) making 10 answers in total.

Humble apologies to all . I miscounted the relevant primes. 9 is perfectly correct.

Can someone help me parse 21d please? Perhaps just a hint as to what the "game over" portion means will do.

I have an answer, but only because I have the 3 crossing letters and I think I've identified the correct definition. I'm not even sure which word needs to be deleted.