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I enjoyed this one - it's not really a 'cold solve', because you can just view the missing letters as a logical exercise in grid filling and get a long way. I think the easiest way in (certainly the one that worked for me) was to get the thematic word from the clues that have their definition shifted.

I don't have a problem with a preamble that only makes complete sense as you make more progress, but I think this one could be a tad clearer in places. Crucially, does the instruction arising from the first application of the sequence apply to those selected cells - i.e. does 'rest of the grid' mean all cells that aren't part of the 'whole definition'? That's the interpretation I'm going for, but I'd be interested in hearing what others think.

I'm with acrornz in being unclear about exactly how to interpret the final instruction. I read it as not doing anything to the cells outside the grid.

That's (for me) a given, cockie, they're clearly part of 'the full definition'. My uncertainty is how many cells the main grid constitute 'the rest of the grid'.

All clues solved, grid full and all the peripheral messaging, etc sorted. I've only just started on the endgame but spent a while on the sentence starting "The first letters of clues numbered abcde.... etc". I now know what the thematic word is and, hence, the full definition but surely the preamble is misleading in that my 'b' passes its definition to the final clue in the sequence, not to the next clue in the sequence (ditto c, d). For a while I was staring at a 5 letter word that made no sense until I rearranged the letters into a more obvious sequence. Maybe I've just misinterpreted the wording in the preamble. Anyway, onto the next step now,

No, I think it's right. If you imagine what the restored clues would look like, the definition part of the 'b' clue is to be found in the 'c' clue.

You're right, acornz, thanks. I was looking at the clue for b and seeing the definition part of that clue being passed on to e (rather than seeing where its own definition had come from). Head spinning a little at this stage!

A wonderful puzzle on all levels for me. Just the correct degree of difficulty with the clues and a multi-layered endgame. One of my faves so far. Thank you Gnomish.

My final blank entries are 5d and 6d. I can guess somewhere for 5d, and have just five options for 6d, but I can't see the wordplay , or for 6d the definition.

Help please

Thanks

Dylan, 5d is a place, so sounds as if you're there; the definition in 6d is the first three words. I'm stuck in the endgame, do we simply start at the 1A square and count off abaaaa etc...?

6d is a six-letter "scheme" with the third letter moved to first place - definition is "to scorn/disdain" (obsolete)

5d is a 5 letter Scottish isle which is itself the first 5 letters of a synonym for "notorious"