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Can someone please explain how to create 90 degree symmetry in the grid - I'm good with words and language, but hopeless at maths or geometry!

Dryden - thanks but that's exactly what I tried to do a few days ago. The trouble is each red letter of the phrase does not necessarily generate 3 other shadings and so I don't get 60 affected letters (56 in fact).

Take 1d. I have the third letter (F) as a red letter of the phrase. That means the third cell from the right in the top row should be made red in order to get the 90 deg symmetry - but it's already red (T).

Or am I wrong in saying that the second F in FIFTHS and the T in SNITCH are letters of the phrase?

dottie, the easiest way is to have a spare grid and highlight the cells on that. You then turn the spare grid in 90 degree steps copying the highlighting each time onto your proper grid, but without turning your proper grid of course.

If you don't have a spare grid, one way is just to turn the grid and see where the cells would be. So say you highlight a cell that must remain at 3 cells in from the LHS and 4 cells up from the bottom, turn the grid 90 degrees clockwise and you will see that the cell will now be 3 cells down from the top and 4 cells in from the LHS. Turn the grid back and highlight the cell that is actually 3 cells down from the top and 4 cells in from the LHS, which must remain as well. Now do the same turning the grid 180 degrees, and finally 270 degrees so that you have four cells highlighted. Just to check the grid should look the same whichever way you turn it. You will soon get the pattern and not need to turn the grid each time.

Orson,you are right. There are overlaps so you don't get 60 to start with. To fill I labelled the columns 1-12 at the top. Then 1-12 down the right. Then 1-12 backwards on the bottom and 1-12 up the left. I then looked at what was in 1 and replicated to the other 1s. Same for 2s etc. You have to remember to count the right way and do it a few times as new ones appear!

Or, rather, do it 4 times using each starting number as the template for the other 3 of the same number.

That's a neat method, rrrobo. I think I chose the wrong letter that is repeated in 6d.

Thanks nick. Now I just have to work out which words to keep. I'm having real trouble with this xword.

Hi, Dottie (and others), if you have correctly identified the 56 letters that must remain in the grid, you should see several words with many of their letters in this set, and this should get you started. In fact, you should end up with a grid consisting of 28 words. Of these 16 words (6 of seven letters and 10 of six letters) appear in the original carte blanche grid. A further 10 words (2 of seven letters in the final grid, 2 of six letters and 6 of three letters) are words in the original grid missing their first or last letters. Only 2 words (both of three letters in the final grid) draw their letters from two words in the original grid. So look for words that are still words if you remove the first or last letter.

Remember also that, because the final grid exhibits 90 degree rotational symmetry, each 6 x 6 "corner" has to contain 10 blacked-out cells, and the pattern of blacked-out cells also exhibits 90 degree symmetry (so the pattern in any corner can be rotated through 90 degrees to produce the pattern in the next corner).

Orson - ultimately you need them both!

I have the 4 thematic words and know the two letter changes. What I can't fathom is how drawing lines can affect the words so as, for instance, to make a 3 letter word a 2 letter one. i can draw 2 lines, one horizontal and one vertical, that make 4 identical shapes; but that doesn't alter any words. Or does it? How?