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jono, there's an extra letter (plural) at the end of the 3-word thematic. So total # of letters balances. :-)

My second attempt at adding a reply first has disappeared , delighted to say my attempt at this week’s prize more successful . Started late and thought I would have to admit defeat but have finished and am now a fan of Qaos , like his/ her style. COD 10a I had given some hints to Roof in my original post but won’t repeat them as I see others have given them too.

Thanks Rocky and Jono, I've got the theme now.
Thanks Chrise for parsing my last letters on 10ac. I didn't mean that 18ac started and finished with the same letters. I meant that my two options both started and finished with the same letters, It was just the middle letter that was different. I must say that if I now have the right answer, I don't believe it means contemporary.

I must have 2d wrong as I can't see a sailor. Ooh, I tell a lie. I've just spotted one.

I also really like 17ac.

I enjoyed this. I managed all except 26a & 3d, but I eventually resorted to this forum for help. (I like to treat it as a last resort.) Thanks to Jono, whose hints enabled me to solve those two. The answer to 26a was such an obvious word to consider that of course I'd thought of it, and wondered if it was right, but the clue seemed too vague for me to be sure. I hadn't spotted the theme, but once I did see it the idea for 26a became obviously right. However, I still regard the clue as weak. For 3d too I had thought of the right answer, but didn't understand why, as I hadn't thought of the correct meaning for "bases". However, that is really such a standard type of crossword-clue use of the word that I'm slightly ashamed of myself for not thinking of it.

26a works, but it's a good example of why I don't like Qaos's puzzles.

dhope, Qaos be a he.

https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/crossword-blog/2012/nov/29/crossword-blog-setter-qaos

I'm coming round to Qaos. When the penny dropped, I thought 26ac was really clever.

Indeed Roof, and if you read 26a, 18a and 24d in order it spells out the theme (although I missed it, naturally!)

Thanks geeker enjoyed the blog ,definitely one of my favourite compilers now.

Hi- can anyone explain to me why 1d isn't 2.7183÷3.1416 + 35? What am I missing?