Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

A lovely thematic offering from Soup. I wonder how many solvers will get the theme (few if any outside the UK, I imagine), but I think it’s perfectly solvable without.
FOI the gimme way in at 24d. LOI 16d, and I’m still not sure that I understand the parsing, assuming I’ve got it right (the last 5 words don’t quite work for me).
COD the very clever and amusingly thematic 19a

I’ve now worked out what’s going on with 16d. I think I like it, but would be interested to know what others think.

No comment on that clue yet. This unusual Prize seems a mix, featuring quite a few extremely easy clues but several almost impenetrable ones. I *nearly* finished in short order, but am hung up on the crossing 14 and 16.

Morning (evening?) geeker.
14: the first three words form the definition, the fodder being quite straightforward (or backward, for the first three letters).
16: the first word is the definition. You need to use your head for the fodder 😉
I’m now not sure that I understand 22, though the solution is clear enough. It’s the ‘worked’ that I’m slightly struggling with.

For 22 I was thinking in the sense of clothing.

Big forehead slap when I finally saw 14!

Thanks, plutocrat: that was what I was thinking too. I guess it works, but it’s not a usage that I’m familiar with.
14 is a lovely PDM-type clue, I think.

I found this one a bit more difficult than usual, but enjoyably so. A nice challenge, with many tricky, but clever clues. I just now worked out 19a as I was writing, but like geeker I don't yet see the parsing of 16d. I mean I get the drift of your hint, rogissimo, but still having trouble seeing how the last letter works. But don't tell me. Other tricky clues were 4, which I think Jono will like, 17, 23, and the aforementioned 19a. My COD is the elegant 1d.

Good fun I thought. I recognised the theme without any real knowledge of it, but note now that the first part of the clue for 27 is a statement of fact.

Had exactly the same experience as others with LOI being 16. Concluded (perhaps incorrectly) that 22d was a triple definition, depends if you read the last three words as one, or in two parts.

Darla, thanks, yes indeed, makes a change from midnight. It’s on the list.

I also struggled for some time with 16d. I think it goes like this. First word is definition, next three provide a word that must be modified before entry, and the last few indicate how that modification is made.

rogissimo
You say that knowledge of the theme isn't necessary, but then you refer to a thematic answer. I know absolutely nothing about this theme - would I be wasting my time continuing?