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It’s on line, but the print copy hasn’t arrived yet, so I may be starting this thread too early. It’s not as hard to get into as Nimrod’s last few have been, but still far from being a doddle. I’m stuck with 26: “Letter theta not allowed in transcribing ‘saltpetre’.” There is one extra word and I’m confident that saltpetre is the definition, not least because the letters from crossing words are N-TR- Brains have been racked to no avail.

Nitre is another word for saltpetre, that's all I can see.

Yes, I had got that far. It’s the wordplay which is the problem.

I think theta is the extra word, and allowed is let, and transcribing is an anagram indicator, so its letter, not let (allowed), ie ter in (transcribing, anagram), to give nitre, saltpetre

Thanks, jockie - that word seemed so obvious, but I wasn't sure what help you were seeking! I'll keep thinking...

“It’s”, not “its”, of course

Obvious when you see it, Q, many thanks. Now to the end game (which I have done, but the necessary logical steps still need to be teased out).

Does the second thematic object come from "PLAYING ONE ASS "?
Any help with the start of the perimeter would be good

Not a puzzle I often see, as I went to the other place, but I like John Henderson’s puzzles as long as they are not pop music-related, so I’ll have a crack

Does the second thematic object come from "PLAYING ONE ASS "?
Any help with the start of the perimeter would be good