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I'm making good progress but have hit a bit of a snag with ...

16a - Enzyme transforming ripe pears to paste finally (4)

I have PRO? but the last letter is unchecked and I can't find anything in Chambers that matches any of the potential definitions.

Thematic, anagram of PEARS TO pastE

Thanks very much Buddy.

I've now got all the shaded words (I'm assuming the RH column name is initials RC) but am too tired to try and work out the first/last letter messages, so I'll have another look tomorrow after a good nights sleep.

Thanks to Kruger, that was a lot of fun.

All finished but I do have one question.

If there is more than one oprtion, how do we select which letter replaces the ??? in the thematic words?. For example, 31d has 8 options so I put the letter that's in the middle of its matching pair in 10a, as it's forced by 4d - is that correct?

Brendan I think there are only two letters - two very thematic letters - that can be replacements. You need 1,5,3,3,3....

PS That doesn't stop your 31D and 10 A being correct, of course.

Ah, I have used only the old and new usage of ? ?????, but to be totally honest, most of them were forced by their crossing clues or else only one letter created a real word.

So, right answer but not because I understood the 1,5,3,3 - but I'll take the win anyway:-)

Many thanks Malone.

PS I never did the 1,5,3,3 as a child and I can't remember any of my friends doing it either. Hmmm 🤔

Thanks, Brendan. Yes, I too never did the 1,5,3,3,3 thing and I didn't even know anyone who did (ie no cousins in other areas, so it wasn't just a local non-custom).