Introduction
Your first reaction on looking at this puzzle may be that the grid does not match the clues. However, be assured that the correct grid has indeed been published.
The key to the puzzle is found in 26d. I have hidden the explanation to give you the chance to unravel it for yourself. (show explanation )
The definition in 26d is "the sum of this puzzle's digits" which tells us that the grid contains digits as well as letters. The wordplay "some zaNINEss" reveals that the digits in the grid add up to NINE.
There are nine instances where the solver must replace the letter sequence O+N+E with the digit "1".
hide
The key to the puzzle is found in 26d. I have hidden the explanation to give you the chance to unravel it for yourself. (show explanation )
The definition in 26d is "the sum of this puzzle's digits" which tells us that the grid contains digits as well as letters. The wordplay "some zaNINEss" reveals that the digits in the grid add up to NINE.
There are nine instances where the solver must replace the letter sequence O+N+E with the digit "1".
hide
Thank you to Henry for supplying an explanation for the solutions which can be found in the Comments below. I've slightly modified his suggested title.
I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.
Signing off for this week — Falcon
