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MarshyjM. Welcome to our bizarre world of nerds and pedants 🤔😳😜

Similarly, it's usually too late in the week by the time I get around to reading the posts and joining in the discussion. By then the circus has usually left town. Anyway, I only wanted to add to the chorus of praise for a superb crossword. Also, as an intermittent and (very) slow solver, it's truly amazing how some posters can rattle through puzzles like this faster than an England innings.

And now a plea from a novice working from one of the lower divisions of the solving league...
I started this puzzle late and have done as much as I could, unaided. Now I'm stuck on the last bit for me - the NE corner, in particular 6d, 9d and 14ac. In addition, does the answer to 12ac have an Italian connection? There does not seem to be any mention of these clues anywhere in the thread so I'm assuming they can't be too difficult to solve; they are beyond my small brain I'm afraid. Any nudges in the right direction would be gratefully received!

Gazzar,

6dn. Look at types of gates for the circuit, followed by a singer.
9dn. Anagram minus the Australian.
14 ac. Think of WW2 RAF slang for smash as a starter.
12ac.. yes, with a sailing connection.

Thank you SimpleSimon. I'll have another go at it this afternoon!

Thanks for the welcome Simple Simon. I have been grappling with the Listener for 20 odd years I guess so I think I have a respectable rating on the Nerdometer!!

A relative newcomer to the joys of the Listener crossword, I could do with some guidance as to the “normal order” when ordering unchecked letters. My result starts off with a valid word but then results in nonsense. Thanks in anticipation. I assume that I’m not breaking any rules!

CreweCalling, "normal order" here means working throught the across clues in numerical order followed by the down clues likewise, rather than, for instance, reading along the lines of the grid disregarding clue numbering.

Thank you will37. Back to the drawing board Unfortunately because the re-order still doesn’t make any sense.

CreweCalling - you don't re-order the unchecked letters - you extract the letter from the clue that is in the position that is determined by the unchecked letter of the answer. For example - if the answer to 1 across was RABBIT, then the first unchecked letter would be B and you would take the 2nd letter - H from 'cHurch'