Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Sorry to be a pain, but I’m some way from a competed grid, and the 18 extra letters I have are not suggesting where the others might be, so I have a few questions to see if I’m right this far.
Is 23a a proper noun?
Is 20d very easy, but ‘rises’ is a noun (or the answer a verb)?
Neither 33 supplies an extra letter?

23a Yes, 20d 'flight' is a noun, 33a check your abbrev.

Oompah - yes, 23a is a proper noun defined by the last word of the clue.
20d is an intransitive verb.
33a supplies an extra letter, although it's not obvious until you've got many of the other extra letters.
33d does not yield an extra letter.

Well, I have done it. But put me with the haters. Tedious and, at the same time, facile end game. Definitely NOT a top puzzle.

I will be the only one I suspect who at first had Antiles for 23 across not checking the island group spelling. Doh.

A mix of reactions here. For my part, I think it's a shame when a very clever construction doesn't make for an equally enjoyable experience for the solver.

Drxx and will, thank you so much. Just the tip on 33a gave me a ‘spare’ letter, which told me what to leave out of the African anagram. That and the confidence you gave me that I had the others correct led me to completion of the grid, and with 25 of 28 letters, it was clear what was required. The end game was right up my street (retired financial analyst). Count me in with the lovers, that construction must have taken forever.

Happy i was able to offer some assistance, oompa.

I enjoyed the puzzle and its complicated endgame although I wasted time by trying to do the arithmetic too quickly, making silly mistakes and having to start over. But I got there in the end and was amazed at the intricacy of the construction.

I realise I'm a little behind you all on this one, as usual, but if anybody is still paying attention, could I beg a hint on 19a - Church fails to see everything but ego?

I thought it might fall out in the end game, but I think I am clear on what I am doing there and it is suggesting a first letter which doesn't make sense to me. Obviously I have last 3 letters but Chambers isn't giving me any suitable alternatives for the first either...so I'm at an impasse.

I began to wonder if one of my other clues was wrong but they seem pretty solid.

Yours, with thanks...

Whistler, 19a. def. is 'everything but ego' (3-1) 'to see' minus 'church'