Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

A relative newbie here! I've got quite a few answers and think I've sussed the theme, but I'm stuck on how to start filling the grid because I can't see a thematic word in the answer the first down clue. Can someone confirm if the first down clue would be 1dn, and the first across clue 1ac?

I am enjoying this puzzle hugely but am having problems with the NE corner. If I knew more about Mary Rand and Prof Jones I might get a good night's sleep. To avoid spoiling things for others my email address is" jfleet@btinternet.com." Please put me out of my misery.
With many thanks.

Me too, galfridus. Would greatly appreciate a hint to the second and third across solutions. Also, are the thematic elements arranged symmetrically?
Thanks

Prof Jones hot- is an anagram. The answer is a thematic.

Rand- answer is thematic- Mary as in Virgin + top medal in sport

Thematics not symmetric.

2nd across- thematic- - one girl embraced is A G IN contained by a girl's name.

3rd across- answered below

I solved 2nd across as one + a girl's name surrounding another girl's name. But it works as A G IN too.

Hi, Mithli,

I don't think that A G IN inside a girl's name will work. The girl's name would have to be IMARY, but this isn't listed in Chambers in the Some First Names section nor as a main word. I see from a baby names website that IMARY is actually a girl's name, but it is very uncommon. Anyway, if you use "embraced" (or strictly "embraced by") as a synonym for IN, you can't also use it to signify that letters are contained in a girl's name. Similarly, if you were to say that A G IN is contained just in MARY, then you have used the "One" to refer to A and can't also use it to refer to the initial I.

Parsing the clue as "One" = I and then "girl embraced by another" as GINA contained in MARY gives a valid synonym for "fantastic", so I agree that this must be the explanation of the clue.

Absolutely Wintonian I must have been on the Christmas sherry a bit early.

Thanks for the help, djawhufc.

I'm late to the puzzle as well as finding it quite gnarly but I had a breakthrough last night and have now realised just how clever it is. Not quite sure about 'best of year' status but certainly up there.

I have put one digit into each blank cell to represent the final day of the theme period. I like the way this also ties in with the letter and its possible link to the period about to start. (As mentioned in a previous post)
I would welcome some help to finish. All done except for 26d (A fish caught....) and 31a (Tough men....) They share a themed 2-letter word which I can't seem to work out.
Also can anyone help me to understand how to parse 20d? I thought that "crows" might be an extra word, but that doesnt seem to work.