I must admit to struggling with Ang Lee too but a great penny dropping moment when I wrote that one in.

A really clever puzzle with some great clues.

Thanks again!

I managed, unlike last month, to finish this and get it all correct. As with 4 of my last 6 entries I was probably the last to submit again, beating the deadline by about 5 hours. That does not mean I understood everything though.

I completely missed the ANG LE[E]explanation for 15d; I interpreted ANGLE as the different content and or message that the Director wanted to get across from the “Director’s cut” of the film. This being a well known version of some films.

I also knew THROBS for 20d, but until I saw this blog, had no idea how to parse it. It is amazing how I missed that.

I am still slightly confused about 25a, which I put in very early on. In USA where I now live there is a type of insurance coverage called “Umbrella” which is a sort of catch-all to cover against being sued, etc. and covers what is not included in house or motor insurance. I did not recall that this was a type of insurance used in Britain and was therefore unsure Umbrella was correct, until it became obvious that it could not be anything else. If Tramp was aware of this type of US insurance then it makes the clue all the better for me, but probably more confusing for people back home.

I also had PEERS with the correct parsing, but could not believe that the reference to Slashing could ever be allowed by the editor. I thought that even PAUL would have had trouble getting that through!

My favourite clue was 18a, AIRLINE.

Lovely stuff TRAMP

Thanks again.

Many thanks to Eileen and Jan for those lovely comments – you’ve made my day.

Sincere apologies for the extra space and the enumeration errors. I’m not sure how I introduced either of those into the puzzle. I must try harder.

The superfluous word in 1d is ‘around’ not ‘a’. I suppose the ‘Amazon’ clue does need a ‘perhaps’ in there; I was using a question mark at the end to attempt to indicate the ‘for example’, but, I admit, some folk think this could only work if the ‘Amazon’ were at the end of the clue. On reflection, I think I tend to agree with them.

The ‘giveaway definition’ for FAWLTY and the cryptic definition of UMBRELLAS were designed to be an easy way into the puzzle. I figured people might struggle with this one and so I felt I had to give a few easier ones. As you state correctly, FAWLEY was my little attempt to remember the late, great Mike Laws whom I never had the privilege of meeting.

My original preamble said something like:

Each of the clues contains a superfluous word. These words, when taken in clue order, spell out an instruction to be performed on a section of the completed grid (apart from the last element) prior to submission.”

Hugh thought it inelegant that the instruction related to the fifth row but I only wanted KERMIT changed to PRINCE. As a result, he rewrote the preamble and in my opinion improved the puzzle.

I’m not sure when I’m next in but I’m about to start work on my twenty seventh puzzle and I think it should be decent. I’m learning all the time.

Thanks again folks.

Tramp

I could count the number of Geniuses I’ve attempted, let alone finished, on little more than the fingers of one hand but I enjoyed Tramp’s Cluedo one so much that, seeing his name on this one, I had to at least give it a try.

I was held up in seeing the special instructions by initially having the wrong letters from some of the last few clues but, like Jan, it took until the very end for it to become clear – a real laugh-out-loud moment. [I had the same thought about FAWLEY.]

It was only when I read the blog that I discovered I had two answers completely wrong – although I’d omitted the correct word in the clue. I hadn’t been able to parse them satisfactorily – and no wonder! – : CORTINA for 23 across, which left SCRUM [state of confusion] as the only possible answer for 22dn but totally inexplicable, of course. I don’t think I’ve ever met AFOUL – but I suppose you might get one in a scrum!

I think it will be a while before I tackle a Genius again – but huge thanks, Tramp, ‘you lovely boy’, for all the fun.

(Your numbering of the down clues got a bit out of phase but it does nothing to detract from the clarity of the blog.)

My notes on completion …

Tramp, you lovely boy, you’ve done it again! I got so much enjoyment from this puzzle, I couldn’t possibly 3d, but I offer an e – 24d.

Having found several letters of the cryptic instruction, I was able to guess the first four words and that helped to solve the in-between clues, but the full message did not become clear until every clue was cracked (as Andrew implied) – and what crackers they were!

6d stood out for me above all the others. The answer was immediately obvious from the definition and the letter count, but I’m sure I wasn’t alone in trying to make peers = taxes. I genuinely laughed out loud when the penny (was spent) dropped.

Again, I’m sure I wasn’t alone in trying the code, K is S, from KISS, especially as the first letter in the fifth row was K. I have 3 scribbled alphabets at the bottom of my print-out.

I can’t quite believe it took me so long to do the obvious – i.e read the fifth row! Another LOL moment.

Thank you for another fun-filled mental workout.