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Having trouble with 31a now. I think I have the definition but not the wordplay. If NI is Northern Ireland, I’m out of my element.

Hi MPRS,

This will be virtually impossible for a non-native - it's N(ational) I(nsurance) that you have to pay and it means the same as "mark" of "pound" - 'force' is an extra word.

Thanks again, Brendan. I had thought pound was the definition.

All done, but I can’t parse 25d. Can anyone put my mind at rest ?

Oh, hang on, a couple of abbreviations does the trick. Phew!

Oh, hang on, a couple of abbreviations does the trick. Phew!

As ever this Forum has helped me move on a little. I can see the answers to some straightforward clues - for example 6d and 32 across.

I'd completed about half the grid and feel I should stick at it. So far I am making no progress at all on the thematic ic adjustments. Is it soon to request a hint? If so I'll come back later in the week.

Looking at the NW corner. 10 across clearly clashes with 5 down in it's penultimate cell and there is a grouping of vowels here. Am I right? For similar reasons I can make no progress with 4 down - this ought to be a Russian currency but nothing fits.

Be gentle with me, please. My beloved Wales took an absolute hiding yesterday - the score flattered them and I had to sit through it on S4C.

williamseal - your little Russian coin will eventually fit. You will always have one correct letter from a crosschecking answer that is correct - it will replace a pair of letters each time (there are 2 pairings but they symbolise the same thing). I hope this helps you to progress.

Mr. Seal, you are on the right track. 5d is thematic so if you solve the clue, and then figure the grid entry, which remember is a real word, you might start to catch on to the theme.

I think I have it all worked out apart from 33d, ?ING, but don’t get the wordplay. And does 28d have two ‘touches’? Otherwise all seems to fit into place