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I have just finished this but thought two of the unclued were poor examples of the theme.

They could each be synonyms for 2 of the excluded words

Jigjag, I can't remember what the theme of this puzzle was. Can you remind me please? I've thrown my copy away, and I didn't see a thread about it here.

Cloverjo, it involved synonym-type stuff.

Jigjag, I don't remember much of the detail, but I know I wasn't overly impressed!

cleverjo and malone

Thanks -it was about "contranyms" although that word is not in my old Chambers.

But join and connect are synonyms of buckle and antonyms of cleave.

Similar for break and split.

They were poor examples.

It was clearly not an interesting one as there was no thread for a week, possible the first EV with no thread?

Interestingly "Hawk" the compiler managed to get several hawk references in the clues and grid.

Jigjag, I remember spending very little time on that - it was more a question of 'those two words would work', and ' so would these two'. I didn't even look it all over afterwards - maybe there's a unique set of entries that I've missed!

Forgive me if I'm telling you something you already know but I get the impression from these few postings that you've misunderstood the puzzle.

Each unclued word has two quite opposite meanings given by pairs. So cleave can mean both join and split. Buckle can mean join and collapse. Aught can mean something and nothing. A peer can be your equal and also a nobleman superior to you. Etc.

No, it's fine, Orson - I got the stuff about the opposite meanings, most of which I knew already (cleave being the most famous/obvious). I hadn't know there was a term for it! It wasn't a very substantial puzzle, so I didn't find it very satisfying.

thanks orson

I understood it but my point was that buckle and cleave were poor examples. As you say, both words can mean join, and also connect, break and split, - 4 excluded words.

Others e. g . peer, aught were good examples