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I don't think that is an ambiguity in the sense that it will make any difference whether your solution is correct or not. There is never normally an instruction whether to complete a puzzle in pencil or pen, but somehow people get over that one, so I think a similar latitude applies here.

I agree with meursault. I'm sure either will be acceptable. A few years back somebody posted on another forum that when highlighting was required (without specifying cells) he always used a different colour for the letters rather than a highlighter pen. That was accepted by the marker.

I also agree with theragman that the preamble could have been better worded.

Thanks to meursault and dryden for their reassurance. I worry about these things too much.

I wonder if there is some ambiguity in the endgame. I'm drawn to entering the whole item thematically - but given its nature, should this not apply to just the first six letters?

That's a fair point, Buster. But if you go down that road, then surely it would be a question of highlighting only letters 4-7 ? Since letters 8&9 are only indicating that letters 4-7 are an attribute of letters 10-18, and do not, in themselves, share that attribute ? Then also the hyphen would be left unhighlighted...

I really can't believe that the adjudication is going to be so picky. But that's easy for me to say since I don't send in my solutions...

Can someone help me out with the extra thematic item?

I've been staring at the 18 letters, but can't see anything there.

Thanks.

Funnily enough I've just asked myself the same question as Buster as I was completing my entry sheet. I hope that either the whole or just the first six letters in the appropriate colour would be accepted.

Demeter, this site will help you out:

https://www.crosswordsolver.org/anagram-solver/

If you enter all the letters it'll give you the required item. Amazing.

Having considered the issue further, it would be entirely illogical to rule out shading the whole of the extra item. The thematic item featured in 7a is generally not the colour that has been assigned to it for the purpose of the puzzle.

Thanks Dryden.

Never would have got that.

Oh, struggling here. I am missing the two bottom left, cant see the theme and 20a is driving me nuts as I just cant understand how crania fits the rules. Maybe someone can tell me which one of these does NOT have the extra word - 7a,10a, 16a, 26a, 34a, 1d, 8d, 21d, 31d, 36d.....not that I understand 36d.........

Thanks