Speccie 2525

[Farrwest]

I've been staring a this one without much progress. Can someone please give me a general hint as to how to proceed as well specifically the answer to 16a One very leggy girl weed picked up (9) MIL??????

[ProfessorMaisie]

16 MILLEPEDE

[Farrwest]

Thanks Professor. Any contribution to the first part of my question?

[ProfessorMaisie]

It's to do with maths - three of the unclued answers contain numbers (one of these crosses with the thematically treated entry of a straight clue). The puzzle number is significant.

[bobbinwales]

Akkways thought it was millI pede

[bobbinwales]

Always...

[ProfessorMaisie]

There is an alternative spelling, bobbinwales (but it is usually 'millipede').

[bobbinwales]

Ta prof

[bobbinwales]

I also thought it would sound like millie peed (weed)

[ProfessorMaisie]

Yes, that's how the wordplay works (but 'mille' sounds the same as 'milli').
It's definitely an 'E' in this instance bacuse it's a checked letter in the crossword.

[ProfessorMaisie]

...sorry, typo - 'because'.

[ProfessorMaisie]

There's a neater solution (on another thread) that uses the multiplication symbol from an alternative 'station'.

[johnpiper]

I am rather stuck on 5 down which is unclued 7 letters and i have
?ILE??I
any hints please

Did we resolve whether the last square of 28 across is D or 1?