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Thank you so much, can't see any connection with the title but now know how to start with the beastly things. Thanks again C.

look back in the thread for explanation of the title after you have the 2 word phrase which is the playfair keyword

Finally got there after working out 23a. Presume the title is to do with missing letters of an omission of a key-word component. Devious & obscure. Many thanks again.

As always these days I am about two weeks behind with the EV. I have just tried pkd's very helpful link and all I am getting is a menu - cipher code, cipher solver etc. Clicking on those is not leading me to the playfair cracker. Any advice would be very welcome.

I'll try...
Go to http://www.quinapalus.com/playfair.html

Click on playfair breaker
Hopefully you have 3 crossing letters for 36a with 2nd one blank I?CO

hopefully you have the clue answer to 36a ... WINE so wine >>>I?CO

Type in wine in the "plain text" box and in the box underneath "to ciphertext", type in IACO (going to try all the possibles for that 2nd letter...) Press search ....gives you the keyword nightcap (which might be the keyword we are looking for or it might not...)
Now go right through the alphabet using B,C,D....Z.......not as tedious as it sounds..........there are only 3 letters that actually work.
Hopefully you will recognise which of the 3 is your keyword.

Once you have the keyword you will be able to put your other clue answers in code and the 4 unclued are "part of the keyword" when deciphered.

Come back again if you get stuck...

Apologies for my tardiness. Thank you for that, Sudokulover. As usual various commitments have got in the way of crosswords but I shall try that later.