OK if I have interpreted the instruction correctly I have 23 letters that fit with words 5 and 6. But the entry form says they have to be "one of one word and 2 of 2 words", and they are just a huge jumble. Am I supposed to find anagrams from the jumble? And are we supposing that Caius is another of Hamish's synonyms?
It occurred to me that the Cambridge pronunciation of Caius is “keys”.
Prospero, the pairing of words to make 2 two word items and 1 single word item is self evident. The 23 letters account for the 3 items which you need to enter in the form.
Brilliant, Hamish/Soup/Keys. And with this and the preparation for the extra May Genius, the crossword editor is obviously doing v creative planning ...
Although he has not fessed up yet, I guess that Soup and Caius are one and the same. Hamish was indeed a student at Gonville and Caius College in Cambridge, according to his biog. It would be hard to imagine the coordination required for this extraordinary offering otherwise.
I was actually an undergrad at St Catharine’s, then a postgrad at Jesus, Research Fellow at Queens’, and now College Associate Professor at Downing. So, not at Caius - which is indeed pronounced ‘Keys’ up here. Coincidence? I wonder.