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Unlike om1957 (where were you at school om1957?) I have the first part of Row 3 but am stuck with the latter part. I have the rest solved and am pretty sure what's going on, which makes my failure to get the 8-letter part of Row 3 all the more frustrating.

om1960 if you're using the abbreviation I'm thinking of.

It will all become very clear once you've solved the first part of 3, so this should help -
You need a synonym for 'stop(per)' [4 letters] inside this is the usual 1 letter for 'soft' + a 7 letter word meaning 'public image' (with its 5th letter ['o'] removed).

cockie, for the 2nd part -
I'm sure you'll have the last 3 letters (John - slang) which 'tracks' = follows a 5 letter word for the 'slower' mechanism (the 'r' of which moves to the 'back'/end of the word) giving the def - a particular 'line' in a particular place.

I have solved all the clues, I understand both the theme and the silver box. I can't see how to obey the title while leaving real words. I see that if we remove the letters as instructed by the title we have a jumble of the protagonist in row 5 but we also have many non-words. Is the answer to ignore the title? I think not.
Surely for any good puzzle you will know when you have solved it? Here I do not think I have.

That's just how I feel, bananabean (for exactly the same reasons).

In conclusion drxx, either we are both currently unable to solve the puzzle or the preamble is misleading and we must guess what Nimrod wants. I would prefer it to be the former but I fear it may be the latter.

Thanks again drxx. Now I have 3 and can move on. I was looking for a bird and also kept forgetting it was 2 words.
I was at MGS Cockie and left in '57! Were you also there?

No, om1957. Different school (but with OM the required initials).

Should the finished article have 5 empty cells, or 12 or 19?

Cockie, in my opinion it is 5. Many thanks again to participants.

greengage, please explain how having just 5 empty cells keeps in mind the puzzle's title. You have not demonstrated that you have seen the jumbled antagonist in row 5.