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Still can't get my head around the endplay. Could someone give me a hint as to the first word or its length please.

Hi,

The statement is 4,5,2,7 while the speaker is 4,6. The speaker is not the nam to be entered under the grid.

As drxx said each of the six words/names uses the same sequence of numbers/letters from the clues - the numbers stretch to the 7th in the sequence for the 4th word.

Can anybody give a (gentle) shove?

I have no idea on how to enter the thematic answers/what’s to be removed. I also have no handle on the “sequence” thing.

Been staring blankly at it for most of the day.

Thanks in advance

Having solved the clues that lead to the thematic entries certain letters are removed - always in the same order.
The entries are not anagrams as such, just shorter words.
If you make a list of the original answers and highlight the letters used for the new entries you'll see which columns are always being used.

Number each column and take note of those columns that are missed when the new entries are constructed - these are '????? numbers' and they're the key to the sequence.
The sequence is then applied to each of the clues in the larger set (of normally entered answers).

Got it! Thank you so much 😊

I have got the theme and the names but I am stuck on 26. I have a blank and then 3 vowels. One of my down answers must be incorrect. Can someone tell me which one is incorrect.Thanks.

Hi jadzia,
I have 'p' as the third letter, 23d is thematic, with the 10-letter solution losing 4 letters.

Jadzia, for the third letter I have P.

Thanks.Got it now.