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Got much further with this than yesterday, which is still incomplete. I'm not at all on Picaroon's wavelength but will keep trying. Enjoyed today's. FOI 1a as it's a favourite of my son and husband - I leave the cooking to them for everyone's sake! LOI 19a - got stuck on it being Shakespearean. Onelook corrected me. And thanks all for some hints along the way.

Good day all. Made a good start then got stuck. FOI 6A even though I still think primarilies are a giveaway and I've never come across the answer. LOI embarrassingly was 24A, duh. My COD is either 8D or 11D. Some great clues. Agree 7D is not great. On 12A I too got stuck looking to play with pooch. Enjoy this forum enormously. Good job as won't be going anywhere for a while. Stay home and watch those borders.

Hi Hywel, how did you guess my nationality! Yes, Wales were lacklustre, weather conditions were poor but Scotland had a decent game.Let’s hope for better in the next Six Nations.

Hi cymro

Can´t be worse!!

H

I don’t get how 5d is constructed exactly. I have a viable synonym for transfers as the answer, made from the word hang and an abbreviation for second but not in a logical way, and I don’t see where base comes in to it.

I enjoyed 26a with it’s topicality and misleading ambiguity. First time I have come across this “nasty woman” word in a crossword.

The answer to 17a always makes me smile for some reason - I guess because it is onomatopoeic.

Stuck on 24a - hints pls?

Yes I had ‘punch’ in12a for a while which I couldn’t quite parse (understandably!) but that’s not unusual. Finally abandoned it when I worked out 8d.

I rather liked 4d too.

Must have been on the easier side as I have finished before midday (U.K.). Normally have to abandon and try again in the evening by which time I feel I’ve missed the boat commenting-wise. Always find clues here useful though!

FemmeNoire the presidential hopeful is from a few years ago I did not see it straight away rather inconvenient if you get my hint
with anag of smith

Light finally dawns on LOI 26a. It wasn’t helped by having gone the wrong way on 21d, so ending in O. This led me to dragon as nasty lady, and then trying to work out how “in dragoons” could possibly fit… was this a reference to the US 1st Cavalry Regiment? Was the past of the current US VP relevant? Surely too obscure…

Look back at everything, and then the Pence drops!

5d: femmenoire, the ‘base’ here means logarithmic base e! Of course, ‘about’ here is the usual c.

I enjoyed this one too, and have all but completed it. My last clue was 11d, and I’ve put the only answer that makes sense, but for the life of me, I can’t parse it.
Can anyone help?
Thanks