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Hi Rickye,

Remember that there will be clashing letters and some answers are longer than their grid entries...
4ac is a 12 letter anagram meaning something to do with BO. Your BR and S are correct, but the U is a clash.

8d does begin with O. Definition is different. 3 letter word for my contained in officer's jacket (O...R)

12d. Definition is tea. Not sure how you getthe first 3 letters but ends G(allons) O(f) U(heart of troUble)

34a is an anagram

25a You're looking for a 6 letter word meaning earring. (The DD's do not form part of the answer.) If you were sending a letter to Mr Hope how would you begin...

Hope that helps...I've spent far too long on this crossword, but it was worth it in the end.

Very many thanks. I'd tried various ear things but could not think of a famous hope -silly!

Would someone be so good as to confirm my understanding of the problem left facing me.
I have a complete grid with the missing down answer completed, thus giving the theme. Elsewhere, I have 30 cells which each contain a two clashing letters, plus there are a further two cells which (are assumed) to contain an example of two letters that are the same. From these 32 cells, one thread using a letter from each cell creates an example of the coincidence and a second thread containing the other letter letter of the pairs does the same. There is then the decision as to which of these two threads to enter, which I assume is covered by the further 4 letter example in the grid.

I'm having troubling deciding what the pair of letters is for certain clues.

Take 16a. It clashes three times with down answers. I've been working on the assumption that it has to be the one that is unique to that entry. So 2d, 3d and 4d each has the 4th cell replaced. (3d can't have the 3rd cell replaced because that is unique to 13a). But that leaves nothing to replace for 16a.

Orson - I don't think your method will work. It is better to try to find words emerging from the down clashes. If you have the theme there should be some familiar words appearing. The clashes in 16 across are significant.

I have finished but have one final problem with 26 across. Perhaps Ionacarr can confirm but it seems the U/N letter pair is "hidden" behind the letter H. That leaves it with no visible replacement. Am I right? Can someone put me out of my misery!

This thread is going on for ever.......

My interpretation is that the smaller object in the central column is hidden by the larger one, and that the U is not shown in the final grid. I hope I'm right!

There wouldn't be much point in making it necessary to resolve the U/N problem if the resulting letter was then omitted from the grid. At least, that's the way I see it.

Has any previous Listener generated such a long thread as this one?

I'm still not sure whether it is necessary to put both phrases into the central column. The obvious thing is just to put the (6,4) phrase which hides the (4,4) but I'm not convinced. To me the instructions seem ambiguous.

Finally got there after seeing three words emerge from the end of my initial letter pairs, then consulting the internet for further precise information. Even then I had to make many changes to my initial letter replacements, as Ionacarr predicted (and thanks Ionacarr for encouraging my persistence).
I found the endgame, and the final grid, rather unsatisfying. Given the word that needs highlighting, the orientation of the central column is 180 degrees out. It would have been better reading bottom up.
I'm also find the ambiguity of what to submit for the final grid a bit unsatisfactory. I can see an argument for both options, but in one case I would not be demonstrating that I have fully understood the method of entry of some answers nor the need for two other changes. It could also be argued that the preamble phrase, "cause of the coincidence," implies everything needs to be transparently indicated, so I'm going for transparency.

Ionacarr, I'm struggling more with this one than for many a year. Had a full grid and the central alternatives since Monday but still no idea how to resolve the clashes despite your generousn hints. Down message unclear but. Seems to repeat a word in the include.
One last tip for a thickly if you will,