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What I don't understand now is if the foodstuff in row 3 is a 5-letter word beginning with "l" which contributes an "e" as the third letter of the 2nd word of the "Contest" where does the 1st word of the "Contest" begin? I assumed it started in the column under 6 and went straight down but where does its first letter come from? Are we supposed to rearrange the other letters of the 5 affected rows in some meaningful way? Thanks for any help

So presumably it's on a diagonal starting in the third row. I was looking for some of the edibles in the wrong rows!

A belated thank you for the help on 2d

Wow, lots of posts since yesterday when I looked. Now toying with whether to stick with my pride in my unassisted efforts - that'll be just 14a (and even that I had to look up) - or try to make some sense of this hideous beast by reading the posts. As a relative newbie to this game, I am sensing I ought to just admit defeat, but I am on a 3-in-a-row mission which may never happen again and the mother-in-law is still here, recuperating from an operation and it gives me something to do whilst I pretend to be interested in the stories she has told us 50 times already......

Still plenty of clues which haven't been mentioned which need to be solved.

Belated reply to Olivercardo - Yes, this puzzle should be a way-mark for setters. And puzzles of this complexity needn't be as difficult as this : I think it took a long time for most solvers to get into this due to the cold-solving required at the start.

rrrobbo - don't give up. I'm sure whatever assistance you want will be supplied...

If I stick at this much longer I can see a divorce on the horizon. Still struggling with 3d and 9d. Think 3d is 'DARKEY' but can't parse it. Similarly 9d looks like ' TAHR' . Help gratefully received or otherwise i will have to throw in the towel.

Uncle_W, you're correct with both. Almost defy = DAR(E), explanation = KEY; Tahrs are associated with mountain peaks - though maybe they live there all the time, in which case they are not visitors

MT49er - if you are still puzzled by DATELESS - its DATEL + ESS which moves from 38d.

I still do not understand the title

Thank you meersault for the confirmation . Now i have a completed grid and the title I can tackle the rest , which I'm sure is going to beat me !