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Anyone interested in discussing this Nimrod puzzle? Accessible online at magazine.alumni.cam.ac.uk/crossword

You bet, greengage. I've been patiently waiting for this one to come up here. 1A is ambiguous, in that the first element of the answer - highly important in the endgame - could be two things, equally satisfied by the clue (one forwards and the other reversed). And is the special letter in other clues counted twice on the only occasion where they are checked? All of which will mean nothing to anyone who hasn't got as far as filling in the grid and then staring ... staring ... staring. I have 7 letters (or I think I do) and no phrase leaps out. A lot of pairs of two words, but nothing deserving the title of "phrase". Since the puzzle was composed long before a Russian warship was invited to do something it can't be that, surely?

Thanks cockie, I've got a few thoughts including the two phrases and being myself at the staring stage, but now have to go out, will reply properly later this morning. Neither related to Snake Island....

cockie, the checked special letter is not counted twice so the phrase is only 7 letters not 8. Once you've drawn the lines through the cells that may suggest a way of reading the wrong letters in order to get the phrase.

Five pairs I make it, which relate in different ways to items in the same category. My PDM came from 8D and 27D. On 1A, I saw no ambiguity: word for 'titles' plus word for 'on' plus one-letter abbreviation for 'book', all reversed, with incorrect letter in cell 1. If I've missed ambiguity, I'd be pleased to hear about it! The incorrect letters I've got read L to R, once only for checked instance, do make a phrase that describes the items. Let me know if you'd like more....

Buddy, hope I haven't said too much! Have you worked out how to draw the lines in the online version? I've failed! Will ask another question re lines a bit further down the road....

gg, I wondered if I had said too little so on average I think we nailed it.

As to the lines I always put my grids in a spreadsheet and work from there so that issue never occurred to me. That does seem to be a problem though.

I have my phrase(s) and have drawn my lines and can see three promising letters in Row 1 but can’t see how they complete a representation. I cannot tie some of my undefined answers to any of the theme words but I suppose that is not technically necessary. I can’t work out where the Private fits in 31ac.

moffat, 'caught' here I think means 'heard'; the first two words of the answer sound like a single word that can have the required meaning. As to the representation, does it relate to another sense of the large letter, often used in fixture lists, so the implication is of a contest, or match, between the three letters and the group described by either phrase? Could be wrong!

Thank you GG. That makes sense. And I have now connected up all the links. My only remaining concern is that one of my theme words does appear in the grid. Damn !