I have pretty much finished the bottom half and half of the top half. All the bottom half clues that need changing are real words before and after cyphering. Is this true for all the words that need to be changed in accordance with the instructions? If so, either I have got the cypher wrong (and I don't think I have) or my assumption that the words which need altering are all the same length is wrong. If my cypher is correct and I have identified the correct clues to be changed then I am really struggling with 3 down which starts and ends with the same odd vowel... Any further clues gratefully received.
My cypher must be wrong but it seems to work for the other clues... I have the answer for 12A. When I cypher it as I have done with the other clues, I get MXKKT. This is driving me round the bend - someone please put me out of my misery. Still struggling with the normal clues 8D and 20D and then I can't work out and/or cypher 3D, 9A, 12A and 24D...
Was that the toughest Genius? Thanks to Ixion for offering help and to those who providing hints but did not save people the bother of thinking by giving solutions.
It's not the same cipher for each of the 12 (although some are)
8d defn = pens , you need a word for colour - think 35 yrs married...
20d defn = badgers/hounds(verb)
have you got answers for the clues to 3d,9a,12a,24d
3d in the grid does satrt and end with vowel, so the answer to the clue does too.
"phoenix" is loosely the defn - the answer "goes before" phoenix and is 2 letters for river + 3 letters for speed reversed
hankir: If you have the name of the honourable man in the middle column, then you can Google that name with a word such as cipher or encryption or whatever. That should help.