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16D is an anagram of three “set”s without an S (second)

I can safely say that I have completely ground to an abrupt halt on this!! I had an ~ 80% grid about 3 hours ago, and since then nothing at all. I have 4 clashes in, 14a, 22a, 23a and 30a - I can't find the other 2. Also some of the clues seem wrong to me, for instance, in 34a should it not read fade and not fading. and I haven't a scooby why what the answer is to 25a, but there are only a couple of words that fit. The 4 letter answers in the centre of the grid are also beyond me. Any nudges would be gratefully received.

Gitto, I thought the same about 34 but Chambers gives the 6-letter synonym for "fading" as a noun as well as a verb. 25 across is a three letter shortened name (think O'Connor) around a reversed fish. Not sure which clues you're stuck on in the middle?

I still think I'm missing some subtlety regarding the head start clues but as it's not essential to completion of the grid, I'm not bothering for now.

Thank you. It seems obvious now!

Elsewhere it's suggested that the shading looks like the quarry. As I can find only 2 instances of its initial letter and only one group of 5 cells with the correct (English) spelling it looks nothing like a whatsit. Is the suggestion elsewhere wrong, or is it me?

Cockie, my earlier suggestion that the highlighting looks like the thingummy was wrong.

Thanks for 25a Loge, that removed a lot of frustration and gave me my fifth clash. I now only need 32a, 44a, 24d. 28d and 33d - and I don't understand 43d!! I thought 33d was an anagram of yon + sel, but if it is, I haven't a clue what the answer is.

Gitto

33 and 44 are thematic
28D is double defn
32A is one of those anagram the answer and something else to get another part of the clue
24D uses an unusual meaning of shoppers

43D - last three words are definition and the wordplay is pretty literal

........I now have 28d

43 - if you have the answer look up its second meaning in Chambers.

32 is (I think) an anagram of IF LAERTES minus the letters of FIRST

24 down Think of a shopper as some who betrays - or ****s someone out.

28 Double def, a quite common crosswordy word for ox, and also a word meaning finished or tidy

44 and 33 are the funny ones. I'm not sure if there is an answer to them.