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Hi Throck

I, too, was stuck with N. Are you going with a numerical value although I'm not sure it's an abbreviation of it?

Hi AndyY

While most are simple abbreviations, a few are not. This resolves what is otherwise a duplication, as well as locating the missing N.

Yep just got it thanks Buzzbee. After reading all the others. Went for a playing card and a chess piece.

Chambers gives two possible answers for KIN?

Unclued, yes that’s true. I think we will be safe going with the more obvious one.

As a relative newbie to the Spectator crossword I’m sometimes baffled by the complications involving unclued solutions, and 2721 gives a particularly obscure explanation. There are obviously more than 21 “blanks”, I don’t see why some of the letters offered up are upper case unless they are the names of places etc., and what does “jig-saw fashion” mean?

I understand what “In short” implies but am none the wiser….

Help!

Hi CastleH,
There are 21 unclued solutions which correspond to the 21 letters given. The capitalisation is meaningful. You are right to look at the title of the puzzle as a significant hint. Jigsaw-fasion simply means enter the solutions wherever they will fit.
Hope that helps.

Thank you Jono, all clear now!

I'm still struggling with this one. I have an idea about the theme but I can't quite reconcile it with what's in front of me. Is having a dictionary to hand critical for this one (as opposed to using search engines)...

Braindead, I used my dictionary just to confirm a couple of entries. Many of the abbreviations will be familiar to crossword solvers, quite a few feature in many puzzles.