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Thanks to Pangakupu for a fun Prize challenge this week.

Perhaps on the gentle side, but most enjoyable with many excellent clues. So many witty clues that the time flew...felt like a remarkably quick solve, but it wasn't much less time than usual.

I don't usually look for P's Maori trademarks, but at least one stands out. No obvious theme, but I can't rule out a subtle one.

FOI 1a, LOI 7.

2 stands out as clear COD, which is most unusual for a 4-letter solution. Too many contenders to list, but 16, 20 and 5a head the list of at least 9 others.

A bit more of a mixed bag for me than, I think, for you, geeker. I found some of the clues a bit wordy and clunky, even though the solutions fell in nicely. 12d and 5a for example. But there are some nice clues, including those you’ve mentioned (though I also have quibbles about 20: ‘that is’ is necessary for the fodder but makes the clue read less than smoothly).
I did like 25: ab example of concision that I’d like to have seen more of.
And I’m afraid I never bother to seek out the Māori trademarks. Life’s too short.
Gosh I’m grumpy. Must be the heat.
I did sort of enjoy it though, and it was quick, which I needed tonight.

‘An’ example, of course. Too tired.

HI geeker

Stuck at 2d with o?t?

Liked: 9a, 20a, 12d, 26a, 18a.

Guessed Maori Nina, no points for that.

Thanks Pangakupu.

2d: definition is 'by gum?" (punctuation significant).

What impressed me is the key element "The Way" (caps significant).

Thanks. No wiser.

W isn't capitalized in the clue.
If way is what it is, I may have the last letter.

The last letter is implied by a word in the clue.
"Way" isn't capitalized in the clue, but "The Way" is a (surprising) allusion.

Took me far longer than usual. 2d is particularly nasty, and stared at the answer for 5a long and hard before finally parsing the solution. LOI was 26a, again due to failure to understand the tricky wordplay.

Overall, though, a typical Prize puzzle at the end of what has been a difficult week of GW crosswords.

Sorry about being telegraphic on 2, but more detail would risk a spoiler.

Understand. No worries.