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But you still need the letter swap indicated by the next four words, surely? Off to bed now.

I know what you mean but the first two words are nigh on definitive (I'd better leave it there). Any thoughts on 'things'?

Actually, it's a bit early for this - let's leave it.

Agreed - we can come back to this later.

I am in the strange position that I have a grid fill, know the theme, can modify the answers to the normal down clues, can draw the thematic number and can modify the remaining down entry. However, I cannot make any sense of the wordplay-only clues determined by the extra words, even when I think I know what the answers ought to be. So theoretically I have solved the puzzle and can submit my amended grid. But there is this missing (and, it seems, unnecessary) step which is frustrating!

Foinavon I am in exactly the same position! Frustrating!

Foinavon / fgsltw - happy to be more direct on the other ‘answer’ thread but as a start you are looking for normal English words as the answers (in the main) and the words from the first five across clues should give you a simple piece of cryptic wordplay to get you going on the first one; the second one from the next three is a container piece of wordplay; and the order is thematic.

I would add that the entries in Chambers for the thematic items offer a lot of help with the thematic clues; I worked backwards with many of them.

I think the curve must extend slightly - to use the expression in the preamble to last week's Listener - above and below the insertion points. If that is right, presumably the straight line should do likewise for sake of symmetry?

Agreed.

I took the word “through” in the preamble as applying to all the dots.