Guardian Genius 224

[LeenaH]

The introduction is very long. I am not giving it.
This is a themed crossword

I am sure of only 1 answer out of 3 I have got
Please guide me how to proceed
27 a
A location for playing that hosts first of games of many sides ? (9)
Octagonal (extra letter i)
8a
Priest shortly acquiring a coarse fabric is one of immense size (9)
Himalayan ?
6d
Curtail badger on the rise (5)
Sarah?

Thanks in advance

[mallyh]

6d haras(s) to badger

[ProfessorMaisie]

6d is reversed to give SARAH - then you're looking for a thematic second name for this famous person. What they're famous for is given by the extra words in the other clues (in this case 'actress').

[ProfessorMaisie]

8a 'priest' = LEVIT(e) ['shortly'] with A + HA(r)N inside = LEVIATHAN ('r' is extra).

[ProfessorMaisie]

The extra letters in clues form a cryptic clue (4 words - 7, 2, 2, 6) for what all of the thematic additional names are - and they're in the correct order. Some of the additional names are first names but most are second names.
To understand the clue put a 3 letter proper noun for the last word on the outside of a 5 letter synonym of the first word.

[ProfessorMaisie]

All of the thematic clues lack definitions but they belong to a relatively small set. Watch out for 23d - it's clue ambiguous because it could suggest -
'wit' for ''source of humour'' + CH(inese) but witCH is the wrong answer and has no bearing on the theme.

[JJ109]

I found this one of the hardest for a long time and it took me three days picking it up and putting it down before I finished it.

I reiterate eveything that Professor Maisie has said - but will try and make it slightly easier to understand what you have to do.

For 23d - there is another 3 letter word apart from "wit" that is a source of humour. Put that in front of Ch(inese) and it forms a word. The definition is the superfluous word in 5d (horse). Therefore find a word to place in front of your answer for 23d that gives a type of horse.

19d has the superfluous word from 15a (author) as the definition. Think of a 3 letter "expression" you would say when you think something is disgusting and put "a" in front of it. Now think of a 4 letter Islamic religious official, remove its head and place it round the rest. You should have an author. What is the author's first name?

These two answers should give you the type of thematic words. 8 of the 11 are people, but the horse and two other answers are "things".