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Can anyone help me with a couple of uncertainties?
25d, I think has "assents" as the extra word, but even having t*io in the grid, I can't work out the answer.
I can't work out which is the extra word in 1d. I think it gives two letters of the word "phrase" but I can't see the ra, only an ar.

29 across does not have an O where you have put it. It is N. 'assents' is the extra word. 2 down give the RA. 1 down produces an E for the X word.

Missed out saying 'decked' is the extra word in 1d.
Thanks all. With a couple of nudges from some answers on here I have finished the grid! Ta!

Thank you, MT49er. I now can see my mistake.

Finished the grid and got the solution, but it is really annoying me that I can’t parse 1 down. Any ideas?

Hi Samphire. Are (continue) os (outsize) stiles (upright members), bordering (surrounding) y(ard). Decked is extra.

Regular column arrangements - Areosystiles


Are = continue (in Chambers)
OS - outsize
Stiles - upright members
Y - yard.

Bordering = the Y is between OS and Stiles.

Does this work, does it make sense?

Can some kind soul put me out of my misery - not on a permanent basis! Grid completed, I think I have X although I seem to have confusion reigning towards the end of the down clues, ditto the instruction. If I continue 4th column south I can make a relevant word using 3 replacement letters but leaves me trying to fit in an ER somewhere else if my deductions to date are correct to make up the 5-letter word. However, I think the 5-letter word, a term in chess as well as a no-bet, following the 5-letter word of column 4. Phew that was convoluted but I gather it's impolite to give away too much too early in the week. TIA.

Hi Bazotto. Giving away too much too early is an odd concept, and difficult to define, since people come onto the site for help. And people have the choice not to come onto the site until they've completed the puzzle. But that's just a general observation. In this case, the thread has been dead for over 2 days, so I think there shouldn't be any difficulty discussing your questions openly.

You're right about 3 letters changing in column 4, becoming O, R, D. I didn't consider that the other 2 replacement letters would be E,R. That's certainly a logical assumption, but turning to the east after the 'D' of crossword, a 4-letter word associated with 'crossword' can be created by changing 2 letters to R, D.

And I also like your idea that 'check' might follow 'cross', but that is a digression. Which reminds me, the NHL season is about to begin...which is also a digression.

Thanks Meursault for that kick up the 12ac. So I'm hopefully correct that the first word of Z is checked?