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OK, I give in. I still can't achieve 103 cells. 98 I can do, or 109. It's the interpretation of the third word of the instruction which I think is the problem. Let's call it "X'ed". The first cell in the grid is not X'ed IMHO, but outside, so maybe I should exclude it? Since we're into the 140s now I don't think I'm giving too much away by setting out the cells to which the instruction applies in column order, hoping that some kind soul will put me right. In order then: 7, 5, 12, 10, 9, 8, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 5, 7 (ie. 109). Where are the extra 6? (No doubt it will come to me within moments of posting, but I'm not holding my breath: it's been several hours already.)

Thanks brendan at 116 .. yes, that’s what I meant .. maybe it was just impossible to make those clashes fit into the thematic material like the other 4.

An excellent puzzle, thanks Banjaluka!

Gitto, Granama's recent post 136 should help with the 5,5 hint, as should posts 76/77 earlier. You need to look at it cryptically rather than literally.

Son1, the third word of the final-letter instruction is definitely open to misinterpretation - certainly it was for me!

I’m at a similar stage to Gitto, although I understand the (5,5). Think of the first word as an anagram word. I have the 47 + 16 letter of thematic material, and from a line in the work, I could see how ten letters (2,8) could remain (four of them appear in a row in the higher of the classical names). But this could be done in various ways as I can’t see them together. Is the final colouring symmetrical?

Read the relevant word and saw the bloody obvious - now all done.

Work, not word, in my previous post. Candle - look number 7.

Cockie, try starting (from left) in the columns with 5, 7, 8, 9...

cockie, I agree with your two 9’s .. but none of the others 😳

Cockie - look at the lyrics to Lowdown by Iggy.

Sorry, don’t understand the hint “look number 7”. Is this (2,8) relevant or not? And is the final thing colourfully symmetrical?