Is there more than one 5-letter word which could relate to a themed entry? The one I have seems fairly commonplace, but other comments lead me to wonder if it is correct.
I still don't have 18a, no.
I have last three letters. Is it a sweet treat?
I have had a breakthrough with the dedicatee but still havent found the quote or poet.
Thanks, Lumen. 'Yes' to the sweet treat at 18 A. The 'students' are the usual body, with an abbreviation inserted. The first two letters come from'treat'.
PS I'd normally give the clue, but the preamble includes some info and I'm pretty busy this morning.
Thanks.
Still frustrated, please help with 6d. It's a normal clue (I'm pretty sure!)
With prohibition almost over, speak at length (6, two words).
I have ?A??ON.
I can't parse 'harp on' or 'rant on', and neither give crossers that work for me!
Thanks malone, I certainly should have got that one. I dismissed that as meaning 'exactly right'.
In sweet treats clue, how about the extra letter....'do' doesn't equal 'treat' I guess?
Mattrom, it’s always possible, but I doubt it. Mine relates to the most central of the seven answers. And when it says “part of an entry”, I believe it means a five-letter word within a longer answer. So the first five letters of column three would not work, for example. Apologies if I’ve misunderstood
Thanks for your reply, Quisling. I have a plural word from the last 5 letters of 4d. which relates to one of the other themed entries. Or does 'collective word' mean a collective noun, as in 'a murder of crows', perhaps?
I think I'd better just wait a few weeks till the solution is published. :)
I don’t think that works, Mattrom, not least because all treated forms are real words, and those five letters aren’t (they are two). The collective is more specific than that. Look at 9d