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Hi Brendan.
I agree with you re 21. I had the same concern and either dismissed it for no apparent reason or (more likely) forgot about it.

Thanks Vlad.

Good to see him back after long absence.

Was struggling with this; when completed wondered why, as it often happens with Vlad.

FOI 17a, LOI 1d.
Lkes:
10a, 12/29, 19/5, 22a
2d, 13d, 18d, 21d

COD: 2d

Brendan, couldn't one of several synonyms of finish supply the required last letter in 21D?

Hi Akg,

Yes, off it just said "close finish" but it doesn't, it says " close of finish".

As a hypothetical, let's assume the answer was a different word with a final letter Y, and Vlad ended the clue with "close of play" - would you think he meant E from "close" or Y from"play? If your answer is the latter then doesn't it follow that "close of finish" should be H?

Correction: It says "close to finish" but the overall point t remains the same, in that 'close to finish' is H.

Anyway, I've said my piece so that's all I'll say on the matter.

I'm finding this typical Vlad. Enjoyable but tough. Brendan I hope 14,1 applies to this weekend but very sorry for what that might mean for you chaps.

Is it significant that Google refuses to find "Surinam"? Every search I've tried only returns "Suriname".

I thought that Chris. It doesn't change the clue or the answer but I wondered if that is correct. Likewise the answer to 27a. I think the correct word is different.

Surinam is the English spelling, Suriname the Dutch.

27a is in Chambers as an alternative to the more usual -ist.

Definitely a typical Vlad for sure. Misdirection all over the place. It was definitely a case of get the two long phrases and it gets easier. As someone already said, a lot of fill in the answer and work it out. Having said that 28a is still not parsed.

Thanks as ever to Vlad for a really tough but enjoyable workout.

FOI 15a. LOI 28a. So many good clues but COD 8d.