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Well this was certainly a step up in difficulty from last week's puzzle, or any others this year, for that matter.

Grid B was straightforward enough but Grid A was a different kettle of fish, which took me a long time to get to grips with and it was even longer before I had enough of the longer answers to be able to start filling it with any confidence. Eventually the hidden instructions became guessable, and this helped especially with the skipped-letter clues.

The finale was something to behold, although not difficult in itself. The mechanics of the grid must have taken an age to devise.

To anyone wondering whether to give up, I'd advise pressing on for a while. You'll probably be glad you did.

Hello,
We have struggled with this one.
We have the first 9 letter answer, but cannot see the logic behind the second.
A gentle hint would be very welcome,
Cheers CDD

it's an anagram less a couple of letters, and a sort of &lit.

I've now ground to a halt, having filled grid A and grid B, and (I think) worked out the instruction (had to guess my way through the first couple of words of it) and the overall theme. I can see what ELM is supposed to be about. But I am completely stuck on what, actually, the instructions want me to do! Do I really have to get my scissors out? Any hints?

2d 9 letter answer is anagram of TOCLUERES. - T omitted to give LOCUST TREE. This gives a resin .

Can anyone help me with the 3 word 9 letter answer. Thanks.

It's your interpretation of the phrase 'gentle hint', unclued, which makes me dislike this forum. I suppose that by asking 'can anyone help me with', you actually mean 'what's the answer to'. I could tell you, but in this case I shall live up to my name. You're welcome.

barista - yes you do, especially if you want to send in your entry. The instructions are slightly confusing, since something they mention doesn't actually exist. If you pretend otherwise, the instructions should become clear.

Unhelpful - everyone has a different interpretation of "help" and in this case I was not asking for the answer and I think it unfair of you to infer otherwise. I have learnt a lot from this site having only been doing this crossword for a few months. If you really don't like this site, I suggest that you don't contribute any more.

unclued
Word that means the same as glaur + o + anagram of not - Definition is misprinted in the last word. Suspect you'll have a fair idea on what the first letter can be.
I hope the end-game is worth it - not a great fan of this one so far

Well in my opinion it's definitely worth the grind. The clues are hard, and I needed some help to get to the end, but the final step is wonderful.

unclued - I'm being unfair? Really? Someone specifically asks for a 'gentle hint', which you inexplicably interpret as licence to give the answer explicitly. Yet when I suggest that your 'can anyone help me' is a request for the answer, you take umbrage at *my* supposedly unfair inference. Your logic is seriously flawed.

The point is that nobody learns anything by being given an answer outright, and I don't suppose that anyone wanting to hone their solving skills appreciates being spoon-fed answers. Nudges are the way to go.

Thanks for your suggestion regarding my presence here. I'm sorry to disappoint, but I'll continue to post here, even though I'll not be contributing any answers.

Thanks serpentine. Your help has given me the answer. I'm really enjoying this crossword - I think it's the hardest I've ever tried.
Thanks Jim for your words of encouragement - I'll probably finish this one in about three weeks at the rate I'm going!