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Some very tricky clueing in the thematics, even knowing the required answer. I'm stuck on one of them: A bygone country - ignore its termination. I'm 99% sure that I'm looking for a shahish place, but the bygone country? And the extra one is proving hard to find. Is it diagonal (they're always the hardest to find)?

Yes! Just spotted it in the obvious place. Still troubled by A bygone country though.

cockie, it's "a" as in eg metres a second amd an old name for an Asian country, the old name often being associated with cats. Needed to get this one to confirm the last letter of the entry ... though enjoyed struggling to parse the others too!

Down to my final thematic.

Excluding head, twist body, virtually spin around then settle (2 words)

If I have the correct 7a then the initials are FS

I can see how letters 2 to 6 inc. could come from "excluding head, twist" and the final 4 letters could be "settle" but I can't get any further and, trust me, it's not for want of trying!

also ...

1d - In time, cycle cut top off foot (4)

I've assumed the answer is the archaic and literary "soon" but just can't see the wordplay.

1d, a poetic foot less the first letter; def = "time cycle" (sneaky comma!)

Thanks Buddy, I just realised the second letter could be E and it would still fit the definition and immediately saw it.

6 letter word for twist less first letter + 4 letter word for body; contained in a 4-letter word for spin (but virtually means all but the last letter) Finally, 4 letters meaning settle as in what an airplane might do,

Time to lie down

Buddy, you are a superstar 👍

Very clever. Chapeau to Shark.