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taken me 2 days but I got there in the end. Not sure I would put 3d in the category but perhaps that's what "to varying extents" means ... Can't for the life of me parse 17. Also, buzzybee, I don't see where on the print version it says to enter the whole solution - but I imagine that would make sense. grunos, have you read the long hidden message spelt out in the thread on cryptic 30,000?

Hi Prospero,

17a - 4 letter anagram around "master" then single letter "about". + 2 letter ""ambassador" - definition is "diplomatic initiative".

thanks, Brendan - I think the grammar is a bit twisted ....

mattw @ 23 - if you're confused that google doesn't say they're birds, consult Chambers.

Prospero, yes that’s what I’m referring to. There was that great long hidden message in the 35 prime numbered puzzles with something about a race to enter and a prize. Don’t see the link between all that and this genius puzzle

Grunos, that’s a really good point actually. The meticulously constructed 35-puzzle-spanning message mentioned the word RACE three times. But I can’t see how a Genius puzzle with a deadline at the end of the month is a ‘race’; it’s not like the first person to complete the puzzle is the winner… 🤔

Are we still missing something? Or is the message simply worded oddly?

Hi, I'm new to this forum so apologies if I mess up. Like you I completed the grid and 'thought outside the box. I gave the relevant clues a hard stare and discovered one of the missing pair, but the same trick didn't help on the remaining clues. (reading down all the clues, rather than reading the down clues only) So I don't know if 'first mentioned' is significant and I've answered it, and now I should concentrate on 'second mentioned', but either way, I'm coming up blank.

First try: precisely two answers entered, both 3 letters. Didn't feel very promising. Got back to it for a second try this afternoon and it all came in a rush. Saw what was going on with the problematic grid entries almost straight away, and by the second half that was a huge help in completion.

Took a short break and then went back to try and suss what the extra two possible members of the thematic group might be. Lovely PDM when I saw them.

I don't see anything particular to link to the wording of the Primes message, but that's OK - just pleased to have worked it all out, hope it isn't an actual race as I'll be trailing in after the medal ceremony is over and the press pack has gone home, and wholly agree with Enigmatist that the second of the two additional possibilities is well worthy of a place amongst all those in the grid.

For the other of the missing pair, think about legendary setters.

(In fact if you've finished the grid, you should be able to get this. The bits that constitute the pair are different from the bits that constitute something else in a systematic way. The instructions are... clearer about this than they are about certain other things, haha.)

prospero--I did find a closely related spelling for another bird, in Collins, and the given spelling is on the bird's entry on Wikipedia. Not very fond of Chambers-exclusives, but Enigmatist was working under a pretty tight constraint and the wordplay was very clear at least.

[As I mentioned, it took me forever to truly think outside the box, so I was struggling with a lot of entries that I didn't need to.]