Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

For 42D expert could also be taken as just the first two letters (after lecturer) and on as the last two?

Nobody else seems to have raised it, but the clue that caused me most problems was 39 across. I presume that 'executed' suggests cutting off a head - so the letter D goes from the fist subsidiary word. If I'm right I've never seen that indicator before, or have I missed something?

I thought execute to mean "behead" was a little loose, but it was needed to make the surface work (It's difficult to behead a golf shot, although back in the day that might have been an accurate description of my swing).

That is what I took as the wordplay also WS, ie beheaded for executed

I have seen executed for beheaded used once before so I saw it right away this time.

Everything understood as far as I can see with the character suitably and very neatly transplanted but I wanted to check that 14d after transformation is a 6 letter Martian associate (as it were) and 17a is a 5 letter Spenserian word....

Hi Izzet,

I think so - at least it's what I've got:-)

Wow! A stunner! Thank you, Android. I came a little late to this due to a trip to the Isle of May in gorgeous sunshine (I’ll take the chorus of sympathy for granted 😉) but it was well worth the wait. I couldn’t resist colouring the eye red in the last bit of the endgame.....

....and, given the stellar quality of the construction, the placing of 3 letters below the resting place that join with the character to give the title of the puzzle is entirely deliberate.

Still struggling on and, given the rave reviews, would like to complete. Could I therefore ask for yet another hint? I can see that the character needs to be shifted to (presumably) roost on the bust which is named. I've deleted its current position and have real words. What I am struggling with is the idea of 'overwriting others' when it comes to rest elsewhere. Does this mean that all the 29 letters in the current configuration must be overwritten elsewhere or jus the outline? In any event I'd be most grateful if someone could indicate where the centre of the new perch falls.

I know this is asking a lot but we are moving through the week and, given the lovely Norfolk weather, Mrs Seal would like to go for a swim off the sandbank.

Contributors to this thread are right - it's worth the effort. What a clever puzzle! Well done Android