Ev 1463

[pomona]

Five clues each have three surplus consecutive letters, to be removed before solving; in clue order, these groups spell out what every other clue has at least one of (amended clues may not make literal sense). In the final grid a number of cells will be blank – lengths in brackets give the spaces available.

2d Leader abandoning top pace (4)
27d One old teal circling island with a sense of chill (5)
1d Article, chilling, classified as appearing in parts (7)

[ProfessorMaisie]

2d ''Leader abandoning (s)top p(e)ace'' = [c]EASE
27d ''One old (s)teal circling island with a sense of chill'' = ICILY ['cly'= steal (archaic)].
1d ''Article (s)chilling classified as appearing in parts'' = ASUNDER [A+S+UNDER = 'classified as appearing'].

[hankir]

Thanks pomona for asking the questions.
And thanks ProfessorM for answering.

I am confused about the preamble.
It seems until you solve 5 clues with three surplus letters, you cannot solve others.
For example in your answers above, you have add s to top and e to pace.
How did you decide that?
Also what clues are those 5.

Thanks.

[ProfessorMaisie]

hankir - After a few answers (and a few alternative 'answers' that were dead-ends) I realised all of the additions are the 4 compass points. The 5 (minus 3 letters clues) are 5a, 22a, 34a, 9d and 19d.

[hankir]

Thanks ProfessorM.
Setters are making these a lot more complicated.

Give me Azed any day.

[ProfessorMaisie]

...and you're right about the preamble being less than helpful.

[pomona]

Thanks for the help.
This is the hardest EV for a while....