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Finally done. Thanks for all your help. I started thinking this one wasn't Paul's best effort because 7d and 14a were my first two and not my favourite clues. I know some don't like Paul so probably gave up but I would urge you to persevere. There is some brilliant misdirection. My LOI 19a being one. And as everyone has said some tricky (but not unfair) parsing. I felt with a few clues he was being inclusive to US solvers here. The baseball reference and the card game for example.

Ultimately a very enjoyable but tough solve. Thanks Paul. A welcome return.

COD I can't get past 29a but the two cool places have to get a mention for the groan factor.

I enjoyed this one - especially for the groan moments of 24ac, 28ac and 29 12.

But can anyone help with the parsing of 18dn and 22dn. I have plausible answers but can't see the wordplay.

Thanks

Hi Dan,

18d - first letter is "protein initially" then you have "a" from the clue and 5 letter "plant" as in 'sink' or''bury', 'immerse' etc.

22d - is "minute" in terms of size - it's another homophone clue. Not how I'd pronounce it but still..

22d is a homophone. Of "more than one minute [adj]".

I bet Paul had a smile on his face putting much of this together ... naughty, and not in the usual Pauline sense.

Paul says…
“ I wondered if I'd done one of the 'jokes' in this puzzle before, but now I realise there is another 'dodgy' effort, which I hope works! “

I'm not happy with my parsing of 18d - does anyone have anything better?

That's how I saw it, Brendan, with a definition by example.

I'm baffled by the definition (not the parsing) of 6d.

Also, still some gaps in NW and SE!

Thanks Chris.

Re 6d - I think it refers to a University annual sporting event.

Thanks brendan - not impressed (and the surface doesn't make much sense either).