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Thanks to Paul for a difficult thematic Prize challenge. The theme was fairly clear, but a devil was in the details.

Struggled terribly, took 150% of median Prize solving time and only managed to fill the grid with ample help from Google. Much UK GK required.

Feared DNF for a long time. FOI 18, LOI 11.

My head hurts too much to select COD. Maybe after further reflection, as a couple of parsings need to be nailed down. There are some clever constructs, but I found the puzzle a bit painful due to my lack of GK.

Curious about what other solvers think. Probably many breezed through it. 🤣

Certainly not a breeze for me, Geeker! I enjoyed it on the whole, but my experience seems to have been very similar to yours, with a couple still to be satisfactorily parsed. And I don’t feel able to propose a COD either.
Also, it feels as if this has appeared a couple of months too soon (or ten too late).

rogissimo: the date is significant. Big spoiler (possibly, but I doubt it): it's curious that the UK has 4 constituent countries, yet the only relevant date that a lot of people remember is 17th March, as an excuse to get drunk.
So it goes. Or Och aye the noo.

Not easy, even after I got 8,24, Not full blown Paul, just semi-evil.

Due to struggles, I'll go with mostly simple clues as COD, rather than Paul's typical complex structures.

Therefore, co-COD 5, (21,7), 19 and 15.
Parsing of 9 still elusive, though solution is clear.

biggus56
Arrrgh, of course! I can’t believe I failed to make the connection, as it’s been in my mind a lot this week for various reasons. Thanks for the nudge!

geeker - I’ve just worked out 9, and it’s rather clever. Two examples of the solution are contained in the words following each ‘in’ .
(I initially had the wrong last letter for the first word, which didn’t help)

Good job, rogissimo.
That's a brilliant clue, kudos to Paul. Should be COD! One of the best clues I've seen recently.

rogissimo: in my experience, very few people know this one. The other three are in a small cluster, leaving this one out on its own, perhaps eclipsed by Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and the ever-earlier Christmas season. Personally, I have no great ties, but it would be a shame to forget it.

I apologise for the duplication: I had trouble picking out buses.