Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

I searched for another possible participant matching the last two words of the clue. One struck me as likely in the context of the antepenultimate word, and '(6,6)'.

Fortunately, I had the inventor's name lurking somewhere in my memory, thanks to a childhood hobby. I doubt I'd have found it otherwise.

I'm almost done, just the wordplay on "Spread of French" being now too complicated for my addled brain.

Wordplay for the inventor felt somewhat convoluted (twisted, even?) but does make sense.

I found the participants very helpful in getting answer lengths and the hint.

Kindred2 - First word is definition; wordplay 2+1; of French is the usual, toast is missing an oven, all backwards.

It's fine - it's just that the length of the answer is [perfectly legitimately] shorter than the surrounding downs.

Ovens as in those things in Kent that dry hops.

As per Iratus' comment, the inventor had essentially two areas of interest; the non-thematic one will be very familiar to anyone who was a child in the 70's and who now does Listener's - I'd be surprised if there was a single UK-based solver in their 50's who isn't at least passingly familiar with the alternate area of expertise [which, incidentally, the inventor claims earned them much more than their primary profession].

Ah, thanks. Deceptively simple...

Grid filled...almost.
Would anyone be willing to give me a hint to the final clue?
If I have filled the grid correctly, I am missing either its middle or last letter, depending on which row it begins.
Thanks.

Hello. I think it is all sorted but I have a query relating to the bars..As far as I can see the last word in row 8 is not a real word unless it is read backwards. Have I missed something?

Lewap - definition is first 4 words, obscure (IMO) Scots word. 'Swallowed' clues a short word that is placed after 'the bar ends in haste' - which clues a single letter! Answer has 4 letters, not 3.

Thanks Jbird!
So hung-up on it being 3 letters, I missed the obvious.
Now to trying to understand the 'hint'!

Hello, mullingar - only the three highlighted areas contain real words throughout.