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Acornz - the definition of 21 is grey. It's a three-letter Hebrew name that means healer - look up the birth name of Al Jolson - the last letter of which is the extra. Then add H for Henry

24 is a word for set on (three letters) - also means a sailor - the first letter of which is extra. Then one of the usual abbreviations for doctor, then a two-letter abbreviation for before (in Chambers) plus abbreviation for Doctor of surgery.

More fiddly than a violin concerto, isn't it!

Thanks Loge - both my guesses for the extra letters there were wrong!

I think it's possible to fully separate a group of 39 - all touching along edges - if a different member of the group is included. However, I agree with murky's definition of 'contiguous' - and the correct grouping (sometimes touching at corners) can be fully separated this way. But it isn't a unique solution and that's why we're not asked to highlight the result (I think).

My grid allows me to keep all groups separate if contiguous can mean touching at corners. I felt the 39 or 40 indicated one group had a spelling variation and can be only one "location". This gave the end game away a little for me, unless it's a . massive red herring. My OCD kicks in at this point and allows me to fritter Sundays grid-gazing. I have found some worldly connections linked to the NW-SE diagonal, which is interesting.

Drxx, the problem is that one could write a different name under the grid and still have 39 letters, based on the normal interpretation of 'contiguous'.

Thank you for replies to my post at #60.
Those enabled me to crack all the thematic stuff! Nice feeling.
I am now just missing a few cells in south east. A steer for 28d should probably help me finish.

Lumen, 28 is red with one letter as extra, then word for the sea + single letter abbreviation for sun. Def is persists

Murky, Drxx. I share your reservations. It’s clear that space was extremely tight in the preamble (hence the lack of any leading above the clues), and presumably it precluded a clearer definition of contiguity, with the consequences you’ve outlined

Many thanks for your replies, Jack Aubrey, Simplesimon, Loge and Drxx. I had misconstrued the synonyms for 1 down/2 across and arrived at an erroneous location. I now have the correct location, which has enabled me to arrive at the third one and the synonyms of the spare letters now make sense. All I have to do now is decide which is the missing. name. Thanks again.