Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

At the risk of over sharing, you have a clash, but between unmodified answers.

You know four answers need modifying before entry.

Ergo…

Mullingar - the clash at 4D and 17A is 'correct'. Not ALL altered answers need to change length...

2D is indeed a pain, others have commented earlier.
Look up your answer to 12D in the BRB.

Any clues for 23d - am still stuck on the last 12 across so hoping that will help

23d definition first two words. The wordplay parses 2, 4

Despite earlier hint(s), I just can't see 20a. Having spent about 4 hours just on that and trying to make sense of the letter pairs, I'm on the point of consigning the puzzle to the 'life's too short' pile. The sun is shining. The garden beckons.

Thanks simond9x - wish I could help you out with 20a but that's another of those I'm stuck on. I'm hoping maybe when I understand which one I'd 4d and 17a needs adjusting that will give a hint but it's a long way off for me!! Not sure the p will ever d on this one

20a. If you know the first 2 letters, look up 5 letter words that fit and the answer will be the last one on the list.

Looking up a very short “cross” in the BRB might help with 20ac.

My only unsolved clue is 36ac if anyone would like to nudge that, although I can’t imagine it’ll help me with the completely baffling thematic material!

Any nudges about how to find the four word phrase are welcome but I imagine it’s tough to do so without revealing too much.

Simon9x - First word definition. Academician plus the usual animal 'cross' all inside a short word that means (among a lot of other things) 'sound' as of a bell.
Unusual - for me - spelling of the answer.

c-m - 36A - the answer is much shorter than 12 letters. Def the last 4 words.

Thanks, jbird54, jordan and crowdedmorning. Got it now. I'd actually forgotten that 'cross'. Onward and upward!

36a isn't 12 letters long and is contained in the clue.