Glasgow Herald Prize Crossword

[ricker53]

25 across (5-4) Fit of fury attributable to liver unhesitatingly ?I???-F???
87 across (3,6) A Northern Democrat threatens mate to say nothing of payments made in America ?N?/??E?K?
78 across (5) Like Bitumen ,not soft and irritating ???H?

[Wharton]

78a (p)itchy

[bert_h]

87a ?N? CHECKS (in chess, a 'check' could be said to a threat of mate; and in America, our 'cheques' are 'checks').

[ricker53]

Thanks Wharton and bert_h I thought it was checks but I didn't have the chess connection the full answer is and checks

[ricker53]

25 across (5-4) ?I???-F??? Fit of fury attributable to liver unhesitatingly

[Mamyalynne]

fifty four

[factor-fiction]

I can see the anagram but is the liver unhesitatingly bit LIV (Latin 54)

[Mamyalynne]

sorry yes minus 'er'

[puzzlemaniac]

if you still need them...
answers I have are -
25 - fifty four (anag of fit of fury and part of the overall theme)
87 - and checks a+ND, checks as in chess, again part of the theme
78 - itchy