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I struggled with this one, not sure why since others have found it easier and I've enjoyed the trickier ones over the last few weeks. Still, each to their own I suppose. Nevertheless I have managed a completed grid after fortuitously spotting the thematic help, and have the lines and name. Clever endgame. Nice.

There are a few clues I just can't suss out, though I'm sure I have their answers ok, and interestingly they all seem to be ones no one has yet asked about! If anyone could give me a few little hints it would set my mind at rest as I don't like loose ends...!

7a Fancies whisky short after retiring at all? -- don't get the fancies or the whisky
37 Irish mobs typically -- defn and typo (got the wordplay ok)
2 Cart wheels -- wordplay and typo
13 Gill and Prudence diminished English side of Britannia -- can't make head nor tail of this at all!
30 Adjustment of rug leaving transformation -- wordplay and typo

Hi Mooncow,

7a - 4 letter "at all" reversed/'retiring' + 3 letter "whisky" minus last letter/'short' - definition is "fancies".

30d - 7 letter "transformation" with "rug" leaving - definition is "adjustment" (Misprint in this clue)

37a - Look up the first two words in Chambers (after correction of misprint)

13 - Gill is unusual slang for a female profession and is the definition

Prudence is an unusual-ish synonym of a word for government; omit last letter.

E is English

The Britannia side of a coin has a name, synonymous with lady.

So unusual terms x 3 - hard to get without Chambers… but all legitimate.

2d - 3 letter "cart" + 2 letter "wheels" - definition is "kills in the trenches" (contains a misprint in first word)

Thanks HW, I was totally lost with 13, I just couldn't see the wordplay:-)

Back to this after a week, after easy one this weekend.
Making progress, but struggling in SE, so further help on 30d would be great, brendan at #92.
No one has mentioned 43a so why can't I see that one!?

43A - definition is executed [by example]

Usual abbreviation for heroin; 'essential' [middle] of the next word; around 80% of a word for gang member [usually preceded by another word describing the origin of such, but BRB has it on its own].


30D - Misprint is in third word; adjustment as in what one might do to an instrument to make it sound nice.

Thanks HW7, got those now.
I think my last quadrant has several clashes maybe..

lumen, yes there are several clashes in SE quadrant: it was the last part for me to finish too.

Thanks all for hints: mostly clicked now. Why didn’t I spot the whisky?! Brain must be working slow in the heat…! I’m still a little unhappy with 7a because the definition looks plural but the answer looks singular: there’ve been a few little things like that in this one I think — maybe I’m just nitpicky. Wow, 13d is hard work — yet it was quite clear what the answer needed to be! Thanks all.

I need another nudge for 2d please — just can’t see how to adjust the first word to get the first part of the answer.

Thanks mooncow. 7a I think is fine as Chambers defines it as a train of thoughts or fancies.
2d, I think the replacement letter is D, all about combing wool?
Please help me with 41a. I have a full grid but a non word at 41a.

Hi Lumen,

41a - (Buddhist) "priest" with N(ote) replacing (last) "letter" (not the last letter in the word)

2d - I think the replacement letter is E (it's a racecourse reference)