EV 983; Lost and Found by Piccadilly

[DocHH]

Hello EV, N&C Wine Clubbers,
INITIALLY I LOST my way on this, and FOUND I had to cold solve a lot of clues, which was not too much of a chore, before I FOUND my way! I actually think I spent more time adjusting entries to achieve the symmetry, than solving clues. It wasn't helped by my incorrect interpretation of the words "horizontal symmetry" in the rubric. That FINALLY gave a satisfying grid highlighting! Thank goodness for a decent pencil and plastic eraser!
OK time for a preprandial!
Dr b, how was the first week of this current semester? I have 2 days work this week, then that's it until December. Must arrange a holiday soon to recover from this week's stress!

[DocHH]

Hello jim360,
Welcome again to the madhouse! You assume correctly about my original post, there are also other hints dotted through the other contributions to the threaad!

[jim360]

Thanks - up until I saw this thread I'd been sitting in front of 25 clues solved but about 4 letters actually entered into the grid! Made it hard to break into the remaining clues, of course. But now am working on filling in answers, and got some letters for 9 down (one of the ones I'd been struggling on). Progress!

[jim360]

Finished! Sort of. actually I have one letter left to insert, in 6d - must be a word in chambers but not sure what.

[AndrewG-S]

jim 360, do you use word wizzard to help with this - it can often be useful to find words in chambers when you have a few letters

[devadolly]

At last! Many thanks Doc & All for the hints, still don't see rhe connection with the preamble and the high-light............However!

[jim360]

I have done Andrew (chambersharrap word wizard) but with I think it was 22 possible words, some of which don't seem to have (in the primary definition) anything to do with the clue - and no secondary definitions at all that I can find - it would be something I'd need the dictionary too to sort through all the words.

[kayakamina]

TABU ( forbidden) LA (behold) = Tabula -Altar frontal

[DocHH]

Devadolly, my reading of the title is that we "lost", those letters, and "found", as if by the magic of shading in the spaces their positions! A pitifully weak interpretation, I admit, but what other explanations are there! We may have to wait until the solution is published!