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Unfortunately, the hints so far - including those from drxx about lowering expectations - with regard to the highlighting have not helped me to identify all 11 letters. So, going back to basics, is it the common consensus that the letters make up 3 separate words and that 2 of those words - of five and two letters - appear in a vertical and horizontal direction respectively, leaving one of four letters ? Or is it the case that either or both of them are red herrings ?

Yes - You have the two - but grid-staring won't help with the other - look elsewhere ...

Blast! Having made my usual notes next to the clues I won't be able to submit, but at least now I understand the hints. Thank you crates.

I'm surprised that, after the outcry about this trick last time, the editor has allowed it through again. I don't mind origami or jigsaw puzzles with the grid, but I still don't like going further. I'm working my way through a stock of commemorative stamps on my entries, and usually manage to find something vaguely relevant to the theme, but this week I just used the 2008 "Carry on Screaming" to express my frustration.

There was something similar in a recent Magpie puzzle. (One letter representing a jigsaw puzzle piece). It didn't create a great furore, possibly because not many people got that far - it was the hardest puzzle I've ever done! (I didn't spot the 'piece' but my brain was fried by then and I don't submit them anyway...but I had a full grid and had worked out the Knight's moves etc - yay!). 😊

Almost muddled my way through to (nearly) the end. Spent too long investigating the puzzle title!

My final brick wall is the two six-letter unclued entries. What exactly does "specified by the letters from their crossing answers" mean?

I can find an entry (which may be thematically relevant) for 22 across but I cannot find any connection with the three letters originally there.
The other unclued light has foxed me totally.

I'll make no comment about the high lighting!

You need to google the subject of the quotation. Apart from the unclued entries, the highlighting is impossible without doing so. But then it's also impossible even if you do!

the post - If you search specifically for the word you have in mind (+ the theme word) you should get a hit for something more specific, with a helpful diagram.

Well, I enjoyed this. Some excellent hidden misprints, which made me laugh a few times.

Only quibble is the four letter “type”, especially as it is in the grid, albeit in a non-crossword direction. I don’t mind including the title, but anything else is a bit much I think. Would never have got it without the hints. Although the hare must be before my time…

Oh, and please can someone put me out of my misery with the parsing of 26a?! What on Earth is that python?