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In the absence of any thread I suspect that I am finding this far more difficult than others are. I still need 14 across (Give preliminary payment for taps at one's home 6) and 31 across (Small boat in Scotland 5) which I think is thematic. I have 8 down and assume only the latter part of that is entered. As always the final word search will take ages once I get to it. Any pointers to the 2 answers I am missing would be much appreciated.

14ac is thematic (no def) the '...payment' is an obscure 4 letter word inside 'at one's own home' (a scots 2 letter word).

the boat is a 3 letter word, and it looks to be a straightforward def (put the sinner inside it).

Once you have the theme look for the 10 letter obvious culprit in Chambers (under the 4 letter headword).

@alwayspuzzled - if by 'final word search' you mean the second name, it starts in the south-west of the grid and runs left to right.

Thank you drxx and kt17. Your help has got me over the line.

I'm surprised there's so little interest in this as I think it is one of the more difficult puzzles. Perhaps it's just me or maybe others have given up. I've filled about three-quarters of the grid but the southeast corner is looking bare.

I have solved two of the clues without definitions - PRESS and BARLEY - but I cannot think of a shared definition for those words. (I don't think the two-letter word for "at one's home" is necessarily Scottish.)

Are the modifications to three entries made in different ways? I have half missing for one and a jumble for another (I haven't got the third yet).

For 31a I have ??M?? If the boat is a three-letter word what is the definition please?

For 40a I can only think of SNELL for Scots eager but that doesn't satisfy the wordplay at all, does it?

Hints (as blatant as you like, even the answer) for 22d would make a good inroad into the SE corner. "Refuse to attend rave with bores (8)" ?E??R???

That will do for now, thanks!

Orson, I’m at the same sort of place as you, though I can maybe help a bit. 22d the definition is the first word.... waste rather than to turn down
40a to keen, rather than eager
The have 8d, 23a and possibly 17a as the modified answers, but modified differently
19d, 14a like you, but also maybe 3D are without definitions
The penny just hasn’t dropped here!

Got 22d now, thanks, marca.
I don't think 17a is modified. Gag = pong and jogger's backside is his last letter, etc.
I have to go out for a bit now but I'll persevere later.

I thought this was the most difficult puzzle this weekend too.

That the two types of gimmick come in threes should help.

There is a common synonym for the undefined clues but you need the 'three *****' to see what that is.

Of the three modifications - the item dropped from 8dn is a great help. A 'messed up' answer leads to another entry, and the interloper in the 3 letter boat only makes sense if the more common usage of that 3 letter word is adopted.

40ac - the scots word for 'keen' isn't 'eager' - reverse an obscure 4 letter word for 'to plaster' after G.

Hope this helps.

As drxx suggests, looking up the word dropped from 8dn in Chambers is likely to prove helpful.

Good afternoon, I like to try and make my brain work before I look to you all for guidance, but as usual I am floundering on many fronts. The title & preamble are meaning nothing at the moment, nor the reasoning behind the two types of three. I have completed the NE corner and after checking the BRB for the omission in 8d concluded that 14a had to be correct, can't see the reason for 18d but can't think it is anything else.

16d can't decide whether it is liquid or distance, and can't parse it properly anyway. 24a I have a Liverpudlian term for a ruffian but that is only on the premise that it fits.......more failed parsing and it makes 25d have a dubious beginning.

NW & SE corners very bare and some help would be much appreciated.