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Established that clue order is reverse alphabetical - but letters seem to be random, unless they're in grid entry order like the EV about 4 weeks ago.
Need some help on the following to be able to start filling the grid:
*USB initially prepared with small microchip with unconnected logic circuits (3) ???
* Like some old temples of St Columba, lacking soul and old-fashioned (10) ??????????
* Titan perhaps in North America -strange! (4) MOON (I know this can't be right)
* Australian river plant (4) ANIL (I know this can't be right as well)
Note there is an extra letter in the thematic part.

ULA, U + à la, A extra
Colum(ba) + 'n' + (D)ated
Arum, (N)A + rum
Anil, A + nil(e)

Ginge - thanks for these - a big help.
However, I have AMAH for my 36th clue which doesn't fit the sequence.
* Old maid's expression of surprise seeing another maid (4) ?

Hi again crackabilly, amah has to be correct and the extra letter necessarily has to be "m".
This was 1 of 2 I wasn't 100% clear or happy with "my" parsing. Here I took it to be ;
mam + ah, with mam being a form of mother and that term used to be applied to any old woman (not necessarily one who has bore children) so old maid when first mentioned in the clue being spinster. I'll happily be corrected/enlightened.

Hello Ginge and Crackability,

I did it as AYAH from MAY (old word for maid (in Chambers dictionary)) plus AH (expression of surprise) with the extra letter being M.

AYAH is a term for a maid

Of course and thanks pkd, didn't/"couldn't" look any further after amah but it never felt 100%. Can I ask your thoughts on the parsing of what would conventionally be 11a.

Hello Ginge,

I did it as Drunkard (D) originally enjoying (E) 50% coffee (COF) and (RUM) = DECORUM with extra letter F

Hi again pkd, i imagined that was 1 of the 2 possible parses but my Chambers (11th Edition) doesn't list "Drunkard" as 1 of the abbreviations given under D.
Perhaps time for an upgrade when the next Edition is printed (I did consider it last Edition until I was advised of the fiasco). Thanks again.

Ginge, I think drunkard originally is D. Then 50% of coffee is ECO.

Hi Orson , thanks for replying. From the preamble each clue's wordplay ptovides an additional letter not entered and here it is necessarily "F", so 50% of coffee = cof. This is why I'm not sure how " Drunkard originally enjoying " provides "D" + "E".