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No - the first word of the second part starts with a P although that doesn't replace anything. The third letter of the first word is a Z which is the first replacing letter. The unused "box" is ironically filled with the same letter as last week's central box!

Some random musings, easily dismissed....

Recent Listener threads have noted a perceived dumbing-down of the puzzle and complaints that it is "not like it used to be". Is there some chance that forums such as this one might contribute to that phenomenon? Sabre has produced a very tough puzzle here, and within a day or two all the information needed to crack it appeared here.

Note, I am not re-opening the debate about giving away answers - that's been settled definitively, and I certainly have done my share in that regard. So, giving away answers is fine, no complaints about that from me,

But, consider a setter's perspective - having created such a puzzle, which must have taken a long time, where should I submit it? I think I would favor a venue that is not openly discussed on the internets, e.g. the Magpie (whose C- and D-level puzzles routinely put the Listener to shame). Perhaps the "ace" setters of lore have simply taken their ball to another court, so to speak.

Or, we could be in for a run of 10 stinkers in a row, who knows? In any case, in a development which will disappoint no one at all, to be consistent I will not be contributing any more answers/hints to these threads. However, I wish you all happy solving (and, to be clear, happy hint- and answer-giving).

We will miss you kilgore!

I am having trouble understanding why UE is Pea soup. The clue is - Enthuse over a trifle as first course, maybe (7, 2 words). Thanks a lot.

Pep over 'a sou'

Cheers Steve. I've been trying for ages to figure it out!

Sorry to see the departure of Kilgore Trout : I always found him very helpful. In his spirit I like to request some hints about three clues.
ND across I don't understand at all so the hints would have to be heavy.
EI down : is this a word beginning with "h" which means to gather in in autumn? Don't see how the first letter is derived.
DN down : I have a word meaning bank which starts with "k" and ends with "m" but I don't understand the wordplay.
Cheers

I'll miss Kilgore as well Barretter.
ND - word meaning "left over" bottling i.e. taking in a letter.
EI - Yr = Your inside another word.
DN - too + another word (the answer) = was ready for firing.

Thanks Unclued, I now have ND, realize I was totally wrong about EI, and confirmed my own stupidity about DN. Now the small problem of fitting them all in. I think I have the sets of 6 letters in the right order in the x- and y-axes but the grid doesn't seem quite right and I don't understand why some answers seem to have disappeared completely.

To Kilgore Trout.
You've brought up a few different issues.
The perceived dumbing down. Maybe you're right. I was attempting (not always solving) Listener puzzles before the internet existed for public use. Mostly I was stymied by lack of reference material, and lack of time during the week to visit a library. Now, routinely, there are Listener puzzles which can be solved without internet access and with reference to no book other than Chambers. But this is just my own perception of how the puzzle has evolved...

Sabre has a reputation for producing some of the tougher puzzles, and it may well have taken him some time to create. Most likely, other puzzle setters also take some time with their compilations. But isn't this the way these people prefer to spend their time ? So why should that fact become an issue which governs another person's behaviour ? A setter is surely gratified to know that many people have attempted to solve his puzzle, and that the puzzle has become a talking point...

I suggest that most of the 'ace' setters of lore are now dead, and that the few who remain are now augmented by pretenders.

What you do is your choice, but I wish you well. Just remember not to try to take the metro in Edinburgh...