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Grid completed - although the parsing of 2d escapes me - and the phrase found. Is it right that the symmetry of the lines covering fails between the 5th and 6th letters of its final word by being a diagonal ?

covering it

Re 2D - adjust both the 3rd and 4th words of the clue.

Not sure what you mean about symmetry as it is symmetrical top to bottom

candledave - I think son1ofrover1 means that the 'staircase' effect becomes a ramp for two letters of the last word (because the line at that point goes directly through the two cells exactly from corner to corner). Yes, that's how I've got it.

Thank you both.

For me, 2d exemplifies the unfairness of the gimmick here by offering a perfectly sound wrong answer, [c]REST - where only the 4th word in the clue is altered.

...but only until the full realisation of the theme kicks in, of course.

...well, a few similar possibilities held me up for a while, so 'unfair' is how it struck me at the time - maybe 'devious' would be more accurate!

I see what you mean drxx but isn’t that often the way when you’re changing clues in variety cryptics.

I see it as all part of the game, although I would also call it unfair if it led to two different possible letters in an unchecked cell or two different viable crossing entries and one version was deemed incorrect

Despite a full grid, knowing the phrase and having the dot in place I am still trying to resolve how the lines will look. I can see a straightforward step progression for the first three words (i.e. the first line) but there are two alternatives for the second letter of the fourth word and the 'ramp' could be for either the fourth and fifth or fifth and sixth letters of that word. Also, are the lines to the other two corners straight or do they need to step as well? Any advice/help/pointers would be more than welcome.