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gday all,
Another Araucaria toughy (still have not finished operatic tragedies)!!!!
got quite a few downs, but cannot fathom any 8 letter acrosses. theme might be creatures, birds or animals ????

Yes progress will be slow on this one! So far I have the 6 defn bits for 1a!

I can't see the Genius! The Grauniad haven't put the print version up yet and the Java version, as ever, doesn't work.

Someone gave me a link to a Genius once when I couldn't see it. Any chance of that now? I'll try emailing the paper.

Took me a while to "get it"
Try this link:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/crossword/print/0,,-28857,00.html?answers=155

I don't know how you did that, sudokulover, you genius, but there it is!

Thank you.

It helps that the 8 letter across clues are all related!

I don't know if I've gone wrong with this.

For 11A I have most 'rungs of the ladder' but my first one doesn't fit at all with 6D which looks right and puts 'B' as the 3rd letter.

Is the 'B' right?

Clue = The most reliable use dagger in case (8). Don't give the answer away - just tell me if it's ---B---- as I think it is, and does that fit with your 1-letter change from 'head'? Thanks.

1A also doesn't fit with my 2D which puts a 'P' as the 2nd letter of 1A.

2D: Player circulating like this woodlouse (6) - again, no answers, please, just is the first letter a 'P'?

Also, if anyone can give me a hint on 18A 'poison', e.g. which letter changes or another definition, and the same for 26A 'stars', that would be much appreciated, as I have the rest of those 'ladders'.

Don't give away the theme!

I have 'poison' now.

i have B as the 4th letter of 6d
2d I don't have P
The theme is a good one
I am now down to 1 down clue to solve - enjoyed this puzzle and wasted (well not really wasted) all morning on it!

.... and yes the B does fit as the change from head