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muraria

21st May 2024, 21:20
Hi thom
13a is thematic, 'craft' is usual 3-letter word and rest is half of 8 letter word for 'ambassador' or 'A-gent' This needs adjusting for entry
41a is also thematic, unusual word for a ungulate mammal with additional letter in 'sitter', 'staying' i.e. around, a common 3 letter word for fulfiled. Again this needs adjusting for entry
4d is non-thematic, anagram of 'targe' i.e. 'Target briefly failed' plus two letters for to pass. This gves obscure 5,2 Cambridge exam, one I'd not heard of.
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thom

21st May 2024, 22:00
Thank you!

Does this cambridge exam have a lot of vowels in a row? Otherwise i've gotten something wrong
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malone

21st May 2024, 22:17
Thom, no - only two vowels in a row, another one later.
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thom

21st May 2024, 22:33
Ah I see. What a strange place cambridge is. that's made a bit of a mess of my frogs but OK. Three more clues and one more thematic to find and then at least I'll have a full grid. Even though I can't see the extra letters in 25/26/29/40. And I don't know whether 3D, 26A or 35D is the final thematic. And I haven't even started on the endgame. This one is a nightmare.
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muraria

22nd May 2024, 14:14
Hope you've got the extra letters now but if not, they are:
25:K; 26N; 29:W and 40:O
26A and 35D are both thematic.
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biggus56

23rd May 2024, 19:05
That was horrible.
I'm surprised that no one has mentioned that it should be Oxford in 4d, not Cambridge - we wouldn't have something so daft.
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malone

23rd May 2024, 19:21
Biggus, maybe the setter saw the phrase in the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary? There it's defined as 'archaic slang, the final examination for the degree of BA at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge'.
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quisling

23rd May 2024, 19:43
Chambers has the following for 4d:

1. At Cambridge University, a degree examination, contrasted with little go (last held in 1961), a preliminary examination
2. At Oxford University, Greats (obsolete)

No obsolete indicator, so it’s fine by me
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crates

24th May 2024, 16:25
Very late start as recently returned fom contintal break. All fine apart from the denouement ... thought I saw an obvious 5 letter part anagram - but as I can't relate to one of the themes - presume I have my head in the clouds (or above) and should be looking elsewhere?...
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malone

24th May 2024, 16:31
Crates, Scandinavia is always worth a look...
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