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I'm pretty mystified by the endgame since one ends up with a non-word at 15a, and arguably at 14a, though one could ignore one aspect of the letter in the across entry since it could be raised so as not to count except in the down entry.

Surely it would have been better without the instruction, then one could enter a variant of the thematic word with only one change of vowel affecting 14a.

I wonder if we're in for another KOHb moment here. Precise carrying-out of the instruction surely means that 4 of the cells in the central word need to be amended.

I meant to add that a weakness of the puzzle is that it can be completed without solving a number of clues. There are ten down clues that I haven't solved, but there is only one possible word to fit each down entry. I'll probably work on them later, but I'm not sure that I can be bothered.

I'm not sure what letter you have in mind, Cockie. Looking at the Chambers appendix I can't see any others need changing, just the fourth, fifth and sixth.

2 and 8 murky - our cap isn't the same as theirs.

I make it that none of the original entries needs changing, murky. Check out the foreign spelling of the word in the ODE...

Theragman, since Chambers is the primary reference it would be very risky to enter the answer as it appears in the ODE etymology, especially as that is clearly not in the required form except for one letter.

Cockie, looking at Chambers and Wikipedia I cannot see any difference affecting the letter in positions 2 and 8. However, the penultimate letter is slightly different. It's so minor (almost unnoticeable in Chambers' tiny print) that I doubt that it will be an issue, but I guess I will play safe and enter it as shown on relevant internet sites.

This just confirms my view that the puzzle would have been better without this particular requirement. There are too many uncertainties.

Grid now complete, but there are some wordplays I'm not clear about . Any nudges please for 6ac, 15ac and 25ac, and also the Down clue: Trump's openness...

Thanks

Dylan, 'Trump's openness' just indicates the American spelling of openness, frankness etc.

Dylan, 6a is a four-letter word meaning 'body of guards' around L + a common two-letter abbreviation for soldiers. 'High' is extra.

15a is a word for titles followed by a jumble of THESE. First word is the definition. 'Never' is extra.

25a is an old term for hospital (3 letters) and a word for 'strike'- think of striking a bell. 'Amid' is extra.