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On 40: could you argue that a lane/road has to be "sealed" as part of making the surface, before it can be opened for use? Hence "not yet [ready to be] open"?

Or perhaps just wrong, as suggested by others!

Hi Pam, re 36 ‘my’ is an expression of surprise, and the books are biblical.

Hi Pam,

36a - is a double definition: "my" as an expression of surprise" and an abbreviation of a book in the Bible.

Prospero, very much agree with your final line.

Ah! Jono - if I hadn't gone back to write "abbreviation" I might have just pipped you:-)

Thanks for the birthday wishes, by the way:-)

You’re very welcome! I’m not sure how I knew that fact but it was in my calendar which can only mean it came up in discussion a year ago.

Big thank you to Maskarade for the puzzle and to Jono for supplying the interactive grid.

Couple of parsings still elude me (normal clues)...

39a - Just over half the mixture is sprayed with tear gas (5) MACED

Obviously it's "sprayed with tear gas", but why?

61a - Olympic venue with watering hole about to entertain billionaire (9) BARCELONA

I get the 'Olympic venue' but that's it.

61 BAR - watering hole
CA - about
ELON - billionaire


I don't attempt these - seems too much like work!

Maced is just over half of Macedoine

Barcelona is a mystery to me too

Does the other come from MACEDoine - mixed vegetables?