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The original thread had problems so I'll attempt to reproduce it here. Apologies if it's a bit scruffy.

drxx
7th February 2022, 10:57
I think this is a good one and, with a fair bit of googling, everything works out - but I'm pretty sure 16d should be 2 words.
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loge
7th February 2022, 11:08
Agreed about 16 down. Nice puzzle though some of this was way outside my sphere of knowledge!
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buddy
7th February 2022, 12:17
Quite a foreigner-unfriendly theme; I'd heard of 2 of the 11. Still trying to track one down; without giving too much away, Google gives me a person whose last name sounds just like, but is not spelled the same way (as per Wikipedia) as the theme word. Is that close enough or do I need to keep looking?
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loge
7th February 2022, 12:31
I know which one you mean, Buddy as I wondered about that too. There is a person on IMDb who has a 6-letter surname which is thematic and spelled correctly. He appeared in something called Winterstoke House. It's pretty obscure but it's the only one I can find.
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drxx
7th February 2022, 12:32
Keep looking if it's the one from the comedy series you're thinking of (and a foreigner as regards the overall theme).
I've got one very obscure member (to me) but it fits the bill and, possibly, The Guardian's diversity rules.
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buddy
7th February 2022, 12:33
Good enough for me! Thanks.
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drxx
7th February 2022, 12:39
My obscure member has a 9 letter thematic, so it can't be Loge's (but could be a different category altogether).
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loge
7th February 2022, 12:44
Yes, the 9-letter one fits with the Grauniad's diversity rules (if I've guessed it right) but that one fits a similar but different category to the one I'm thinking of.
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drxx
7th February 2022, 12:48
I think we're in the same category, loge - I've found your 6 letter candidate.
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drxx
7th February 2022, 12:59

loge
7th February 2022, 13:04
I can't count - the one in the other category has a 10-letter surname!

I've found your 9-letter one - probably a better bet but still pretty obscure but still pretty obscure (to me).
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sircrispin
7th February 2022, 13:04
I was happy with the 9-letter theme word - at least I'd heard of some of his oeuvre. Not so sure about my 20 across...
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drxx
7th February 2022, 13:10
My 20a is very current - I'm certainly no fan but hardly a day goes go by without seeing/hearing it.
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sircrispin
7th February 2022, 13:14
I must admit to being a little out of touch...

But if I'm right he's associated with my home county, and probably does little to enhance its already tarnished reputation.
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sircrispin
7th February 2022, 13:17
...hope I didn't give away too much there. Oops
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buddy
7th February 2022, 14:45
I found the 9-letter one drxx was referring to; equally obscure to me as the 6-letter one, and of course it's not necessary to find either to have a correct grid. There's something slightly unsatisfying about that type of endgame to me. You should always have to show your work to get full credit! What's true of math exams should also be true of crosswords....
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loge
7th February 2022, 14:51
I think Drxx is more likely to be right than I am (as ever, see Listener threads passim!) but yes, both seem pretty obscure to me. All the others have a Wiki entry or are in Chambers so searches for them proved fruitful without expending too much time. Still, it didn't spoil an enjoyable puzzle with a nice penny drop moment.
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drxx
7th February 2022, 15:15
I very much doubt I'm ahead on that score, loge.

buddy, I don't think the 6 letter word is enough for the thematic context - it should start with the theme word to be the theme word, and not something else within it, but that's a pedantic point (and you're right - it doesn't matter anyway).
I agree that the 9 letter word is too obscure and it wouldn't surprise me if other candidates could be found by switching the categories around - there's plenty of scope here.
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drxx
7th February 2022, 15:19
...but I enjoyed the puzzle very much - lots of levels to tackle it on (apart from maths, thankfully).
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prospero
8th February 2022, 13:14
with regard to 10, I have an answer that fits with the superfluous word in 11 ... am stuck on 14 and 20, though. And, although I'm confident about 13, I can't parse it.
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prospero
8th February 2022, 13:19
with regard to 10, I have an answer that fits with the superfluous word in 11 ... am stuck on 14 and 20, though, and although I'm confident of the solution to 13, I can't parse it ...
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prospero
8th February 2022, 13:23
with regard to 10, I have an answer that fits with the superfluous word in 11 ... am stuck on 14 and 20, though, and although I'm confident of 13 I can't parse it ...
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prospero
8th February 2022, 13:30
with regard to 10, I have an answer that fits with the superfluous word in 11 ... am stuck on 14 and 20, though - and although I am confident of solution to 13 I can't parse it ...
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loge
8th February 2022, 15:18
I think some posts are missing from this thread? On the home page it says there are 23 posts but only 20 appear (the last being Muraria's from yesterday). This one may not appear either...
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loge
8th February 2022, 15:23
Prospero, 14 is a type of cheese (the second word is the first name of a footballer who became an actor, sort of) and 20 could be defined by young kangaroo. 13 parses as a word for a refrigerated ship minus its last letter (the penultimate letter is the extra one).

Defo something odd going on with this thread!
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luftmensch
8th February 2022, 15:32
Loge, your latest post appears as "26 of 22"!
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prospero
8th February 2022, 16:08
many thanks, loge all done now, and apologies that my post appeared three times because the site wasn't taking it (and still doesn't seem to have counted it!) ... just have to work out the hint now but of course it isn't necessary for submitting. There was once a genius that required you to submit the extra trappings but that hasn't happened for a while now and, as previous commentators have said, it feels a bit superfluous
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prospero
8th February 2022, 16:21
- and 16 has been amended now ...
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brendan
8th February 2022, 18:52
20a - I can't see what category matches this guy - yes, he's a 'television personality' but he isn't an actor or presenter
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aspria
8th February 2022, 18:54
Can anyone throw any light on 6dn? Apart from that I've got a full grid and as far as I can see it's not really necessary to work out all the allusions is it - apart from the ones that are obvious, that is?
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brendan
8th February 2022, 18:57
Hi Aspira,

6d - 6 letter "badger" as a verb reversed/on the rise and minus its last letter/curtail - themed.
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mattrom
8th February 2022, 19:21
I'm wondering if my letters are correct for 21d. I have O?P?Y?
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brendan
8th February 2022, 19:25
Hi Mattrom,

21d - Your Y is wrong.
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mattrom
8th February 2022, 19:28
Thanks, Brendan
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jack aubrey
8th February 2022, 20:58
I’m just not getting on the wavelength with this one. No complaints, just a description of my situation. I understand what’s going on thematically, have several entries in each category and so several pairs with their “definitions”; but nevertheless each as yet unsolved clue feels like an as yet untaken Pacific island in ‘43-‘45. Maybe I’m just tired!
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teenieleek
9th February 2022, 12:26
I wrote a post yesterday but it didn’t appear.
I have a full grid but don’t know 10ac surname and I’m unsure of the parsing of parts of some answers e.g. “than” in 8ac and the first half of 1dn.
I had a very small horse from the far north for 20 ac until sircrispin suggested a person and since I’d already used the “horse” category I went looking. Found him, never heard of him, reasonably grateful for it!
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brendan
9th February 2022, 12:36
Hi Teenieleek,

8a - the "priest" is 6 letters (not 4, like I originally thought) minus it's last letter/shortly around/acquiring "a" then 4 letter "coarse fabric" minus the extra letter.

1d - first 3 letters are a 4 letter "festival" minus extra letter then 3 letter "support" and 3 letter "rubbish" reversed/upset.

20a - What category did you put him in? I know what he does but it doesn't seem to match with any of them.
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barretter
9th February 2022, 13:43
In 8ac you're looking for a word meaning "coarse fabric" which includes the last three letters. The "t" is part of the shortened priest. In 1dn the first three letters are part of a word meaning festival.
I am still stuck in the top lefthand corner. Any hints fo 1ac, 10ac, 2dn and 9dn most welcome.
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brendan
9th February 2022, 13:46
This is most perplexing! I wrote a response to Teenieleek's post @36 that seems to appear if I'm signed in and disappear when I'm signed out?

Can anyone else see it? it begins ...

8a - the "priest" is 6 letters (not 4, like I originally thought) m....
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brendan
9th February 2022, 13:55
Okay, there's obviously a problem so I've notified Norah.

Can someone give a 👍 if they can see this post.
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loge
9th February 2022, 14:04
Looks like this thread's got stuck again so I'll try bumping it...
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prospero
9th February 2022, 14:07
teenieleek - I think 10 has a 6-letter partner and is defined by the extra word in 11
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loge
9th February 2022, 14:10
Can see your post now, Brendan (and others above). I put 20 across in the category defined by the extra word in 28 across, though from the Wiki entry it doesn't seem quite right.
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loge
9th February 2022, 14:14
I have the extra word in 11 defining 4 down, Prospero?
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brendan
9th February 2022, 14:16
Thanks Loge, I think you might be the only one who can see my posts!

I've got the extra word in 28a as applying to 4d - she's a radio .....
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loge
9th February 2022, 14:20
But if you look her up on Wiki, her first profession is listed as the extra word from 11!
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prospero
9th February 2022, 14:22
my post 46 (of 45 now - before it was 42!) is irrelevant as everyone has crossed as a result of delayed publication (which happened to me on page 2 yesterday). Yes, I too believe the extra word in 28 goes with 4d.
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brendan
9th February 2022, 14:26
I saw that but the problem is that quite a few of them 'wear more than one hat' as it were - all bar 20a who is a 'reality ....' which doesn't match any of the headings.

I know I've said all this in other posts but, as no one replied, I assume they're among the ones that can't be seen - either that or I'm being ignored! - time to boil a bunny 😂
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loge
9th February 2022, 14:26
One last try - please delete these posts Admin when the thread gets fixed
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prospero
9th February 2022, 14:30
baretter - there isn't a 1 ac ... 9d - superfluous word is the 3rd, regularly ignore the first 2 to get the definition in last 3. 2d - 5-letter word for discipline missing its last letter, then single letter for Latin, 5th word superfluous, 3-letters for on holiday, 4-word definition at the end.
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prospero
9th February 2022, 14:45
brendan - unless the superfluous word in 2d goes with 10 to make the very obscure person loge found in Winterstoke Edge, I think it must belong to 20, and the setter has made a mistake. Even if 2 were to go with 10, it doesn't free up an appropriate definition - as you say.
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jack aubrey
9th February 2022, 14:45
Having complained about not getting on the wavelength yesterday, this seemed a lot more tractable today. I’m glad I didn’t have to rely on the “cryptic hint” though. I still haven’t a scooby as to how it relates to the theme. I went with 28a being a 4d, blissfully unaware of his existence hitherto (and I plan to resume that state instanter).
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loge
9th February 2022, 14:46
Question is, if 4 down is defined with 28, which one goes with the definition in 11? Given the earlier debate about the obscurity of 10 across if could be that, which puts 20 across with the definition in 2 down. But I can't find anyone with a thematic name that goes with 10 that fits the profession in 11. Perhaps others can?
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jack aubrey
9th February 2022, 14:48
That 4d should have been 2d of course. Apologies!
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jack aubrey
9th February 2022, 14:50
And the 28a should have been 20 a. I am being a bear of very little brain at the moment. Just had a shot of medication which is my lame excuse.
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jack aubrey
9th February 2022, 14:53
Loge @ 56: check out TalkSPORT Drive. Obscure indeed, but it works for me.
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jack aubrey
9th February 2022, 15:01
Or perhaps if a judgement of relative heft is included, give the 11 palm to 4 and make 10 a mere 28.
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prospero
9th February 2022, 15:02
loge - there is a sports extra word in 11. I was hoping to find an (extra word in 2) with a different thematic surname but can't (and I'm in the profession ...) So I think it must be, uncharacteristically, a mistake.
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teenieleek
9th February 2022, 15:08
Prospero says he has a six letter journalist surname for 10ac. which I haven’t found yet, but 4dn could fit that category too. All quite confusing.
As for 20ac, he requires a category not included in this puzzle!
I’ve now been able to read the thread.
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teenieleek
9th February 2022, 15:14
Sorry, missed a couple of posts there. Found him now thanks. Don’t know how you found him Prospero but well done.
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norah (admin)
9th February 2022, 15:15
I see the numbering is having a hiccup as well as Brendan's problems..

I think the best course of action would be to start a second Genius 224 thread. Perhaps copy and paste relevant posts from the other thread, or ask me to to do it.

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loge
9th February 2022, 15:17
I've found the TalkSport presenter (same name as the Winterstoke guy). He does seem to be quite a big figure there. That gives us:

4 down defined by 28
20 across defined by 2 down (loosely, I suspect!)
10 across defined by 28 across
and the rest uncontroversial.

That works, though as Drxx correctly pointed out much earlier (post 18), the 6-letter word is technically incomplete thematically.
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That's all the posts from the other thread minus the bump posts. I hope I haven't missed any.

Well done, Loge, I hope your friends on the Forum appreciate your masterly copying and pasting skills.

You're welcome - shame I forgot to separate some of the posts so they are run together and look like a dog's dinner!

Thanks for the edit, loge ('masterly' indeed - and speedily done!).
I'm seeing it as one very long page but let's see what happens when I try to post on it -

I think the category from 28 that's being applied to 20 is the result of a misreading of 20's IMDb.
If you look at the entries for 2014 you'll see him credited as the 28 of an awards programme. However, this was for a particular award - 'Best Young Performance' - and he was joint 28 with Dani Harmer (the overall ceremony had the very well known 28 P.S.).

Thanks for being sympathetic to my quibble regarding the designation of the other place, loge. If, like me, you'd been born on the other side of the river to that place - in the place (rightly, I think) favoured by God - you'd appreciate how much it matters to those people on the northern bank. But I doubt it matters much in this context.