token,
The clue lacks an exemplification indicator. The Ximenean convention, normally followed in the Listener, is that ‘dog’ can indicate SETTER, but ‘setter’ alone shouldn’t be used to indicate DOG; it needs a qualification such as ‘setter maybe’.
I’m about to give up on this one. It’s the first Sabre I’ve failed to solve, but I’m getting nowhere in my efforts to resolve all the clashes and detect a theme. If anyone can answer any of the questions/issues below I may be encouraged to plough on.
1. On the assumption that the unclued entry doesn’t coincide with replaced letters in the crossing answers I have a time-related answer consisting of two words. Is that right?
If it is right, I’m puzzled by the fact that 20a and 26a appear to have no letter replacement since there are no clashes with down entries. Possibly 11a as well, but I cannot be sure as I don’t have 6d (any hints to that appreciated). I assume it begins or ends with L.
2. I also have no clashes in 35a, 19d, and one out of 30a/31d and one out of 33a/24d must be normal, so that makes four entries where there appears to be no letter replacement, yet the preamble refers to only two cases where the letter and its replacement are identical .
3. Is there any rationale to the shortened entries? I have five of them; three appear to have the last or penultimate letter missing, but as that coincides with unchecked letters in two cases it’s difficult to tell. The other two appear to have a letter removed from the middle. In the case of 25a it coincides with an unchecked letter.
With so many variables I’m finding it difficult to make sense of the letter pairs since in some cases I cannot be sure which is the right letter pair. I imagine the letter pairs are read in order, but not consecutively, which complicates things enormously.
Sorry for such a long list. Any hints will be gratefully received.