Guardian Cryptic

[Jennykenny]

Has anyone got a couple of clues, any clues will do, to get me started. Looks horrible.

[mallyh]

can you tell us without the paper a clue ?

[Jennykenny]

Yes, sorry, that would help.

10,12 Clan's rodent making no noise. God! (9;4)
(The semi-colon is deliberate. Some clues are, for example, (6,3;5)

Now comes the instructions.
Each clue leads to two solutions, one or both of which contain a trio (or in two cases a quartet) of successive letters of the alphabet, appearing either forwards or backwards. In one case, these letters involve the beginning and end of the alphabet; in another, the letters to be included are a mix of three successive letters. These groups of three or four letters are to be included in the full version of the solution to be entered in the grid, but are omitted from the wordplay in the clues.
I think I got it all down. See what I mean about being horrible!

[mallyh]

oh my, I need a lie down after reading that lol x

[Jennykenny]

Yes, definitely. I appreciate that it is made difficult so that it takes up the whole bank holiday, but at this rate, it will take me the rest of the year.

[CharlieBangersCi]

Thanks for taking the time to post all the instructions Jenny. I look forward to the Prize on a Saturday and have just stared at this until I conceded defeat and went to do some housework. Here's hoping someone can give us a both a nudge so we can get going!

[Tilly2]

Is it a Bank Holiday head scratcher, Jenny?

[Tilly2]

Oh, crossed posts!

[JustNotCricket]

I would look for Afghanistan first.

Afghanistan has the letters fgh in order.

Keeping to the Islamic theme hij would give hijab, and jih would give jihad.

That should put a little sunshine into your otherwise bleak bank holiday weekend. :)

[Jennykenny]

Hi cricket person.
Thank you, I'll work with what you have given me and try to see some sense.

(By the way, a large number of letters in the Guardian letter page today, almost all also complaining about how difficult these crosswords are.)

[Tilly2]

Who's the compiler today, Jenny?

[roslyn251254]

Maskarade

[Tilly2]

Thanks, Roslyn. Have you completed it?

[roslyn251254]

NO .... a long way to go!

[CharlieBangersCi]

I'm in!!! Just about. i don't like giving spoilers but have a look at 6 down. The definition has numbers in it.

[scorpiojo]

...making no noise. God! Odin

[scorpiojo]

15a Game inside an (one) + 3 letters. Def Greek King.

[Jennykenny]

Sorry Scorpiojo, but can't make head nor tail of your 15a.

[scorpiojo]

15a is the word 'game' inside 'an' + 3 letters in sequence - definition Greek King.

[CharlieBangersCi]

Hello again Jenny. I'm getting on with this now. For me, the best way to go about it has been to ignore the special instructions (which completely befuddled me) and look at the clues to find the definitions. I got started with 16 across which was helped by me being a musician and liking a particular set of piano pieces which just happen to fit and have MNOP in them. I know it's not the done thing to parse "backwards" but today I have no choice. This is a very clever crossword but a bit out of my league.

[Jennykenny]

It's no good. I'm going back to bed in a massive sulk.