Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

For 1a I have a three-letter word for "everything" inside BAST.

I haven't got very far with this puzzle and the preamble still doesn't make much sense to me and I have come across a few clashes. A hint for 16d would help a lot, thanks:

Ridiculous claims about America not forgetting strange desert phenomenon (11, 2 words). ??S????M???

The preamble is definitely one of the most convoluted I've seen! It gave me a headache reading and re-reading it but it starts to make sense once yiu get into the puzzle.
16d is anagram of claims around the usual term for America, with a short conjunction for 'not forgetting'.

Typical - musical sand I think, but that clashes with my 38a.

Hi Orson, yes there is a clash there

Thanks, muraria.

Muraria, the name is of the person who have the ruling. The given name indicates the row 'pig's the surname which indicates the activity which the group performed.

Sorry that should have said 'gave the ruling ' and 'plus '.

Ah, yes, many thanks Ozzy!

I agree about the Preamble. The row with the motto and its jocular alteration leapt out fairly quickly, and I can see that the giver's surname (2 words) can be made from some of the clashes - am I on the right track? I have three of the stationary statuesque lovelies, but would welcome a nudge towards the others (12, 13, 6 all there). Hope I'm not giving too much away.

Hi cockie,

You're on the right track but the name of the ''giver'' I think you're thinking of doesn't feature in the resolved clashes, the group is the collective name of those who he managed.
The five clued parts are a disparate group with one person in common, the remaining two are at 14a and 41d.