Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

I make problems for myself. I was quite convinced that the `uncle` in 4d was Vanya so spent ages trying to fit those letters into a word !
18ac is a favourite - `The Bathers` so it was the first I got (tho` not sure whether to end it with `t` or `m`). Mags.

Good Afternoon, All. It is good to be back among friends. On Desert Island Discs, the particular dragon in question referred to her self as glamorous or words to that effect. I think she must have been looking at someone else's photograph. It certainly couldn't have been a mirror she was looking into. Am I not nice for saying that?

Anyway, good to be back. Crossword was not too terrible, but there were a couple of words I had not encountered before. Hospital stay was the usual mix of good company, including a young man from Dundee. It is bad enough for us oldies to have strange medical conditions, but it is much worse when the patient is in the prime of his life, facing something unpronounceable and sometimes with no known cure. Having said all that, the atmosphere is never somber(or should that be sombre?)

Best wishes for now.

P

Good to see you back on line, pipesmoker. Very best wishes for the New Year.

Thanks, chrise, and the same to you. I am still doing my best not to be defied by my laptop which makes its own mind up as to where letters should be printed. The net result is that a word may appear in the middle of another word, or it just may not appear at all. The joys of technology.

The joys of technology!I just had a split-second power cut; it's taken me about 20 minutes to get back here. Glad to see you're bearing up, Pipesmoker. I haven't been on for ages. How's Old Gal? I'm still stuck on 5D and 15A; any clues please?

5d includes "nine" in Roman numerals.
As mentioned previously, 15a is a double definition - difficult to give more without giving the answer.

Sorry, I meant 16A, not 15A.
I may give up shortly, computer is on a go-slow and work to rule!

Does ice-pick in Mexico ring a bell? The "channel" refers to broadcasting.

Good to have you back with us Pipesmoker. Hope 2013 is good to you. Bees re your enquiry about Old gal. She actually posted last week and she seems to be well enough. Like me, she was fed up with the ending to Downton Abbey!!!

Still stuck on the following

7A Bet its the wife (6,4) and consequently 1D, 2D and 4D

I really liked 11A Observing that a bell`s faulty. Thought it quite sweet!!!

Hello Mondrian
Only just seen your post and there seems to be no one else around. 7a is an expression used for the "wife" 1d is a sauce (hidden backwards in the clue) 2d double definition of "keep" and undealt cards. 4d Uncle Sam + latin for eggs + r (anagram for the large urn)