Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Hello, Elle!
Apologies, OED was 20 volumes, as you said!
I see new Shorters on Amazon for just over £60.
I thought they used to be quite a bit more than that.
I was watching the cycling World Championships from Doha.
What an awful looking place!
Plain flat desert. Temperature 40C.
Tony Martin won.
Most of the riders were carrying ice in all their pockets trying to alleviate the heat.
Well done, the UCI!
Wonder why they chose Doha!!!!
No great problems in bottom left, though I thought 19d was a wee bit iffy.
No rain here, but a bit chilly!

Hello Rusty and Elle,

Reading your various exchanges on origins of words/expressions prompted me look at Amazon for books on etymology/origins of said words.

I have just ordered four second hand (good/very good condition) books on the subject, 2 from World of Books Fr. and 2 from Country House Library; none of them cost more than 0.75 euros, but of course I have to pay a little extra for Postage to France. More room on the shelves needed!

Weather beautiful again, rather fresh (!), but I think some rain is on the way and may stay with us on and of for a few days.

How are you both?

PS - typo ; on and oFF

Hello, Pigale!
Hope you enjoy your books, (and share some of the info with us!)
I use World of Books a lot. They are good.
It is a bit chilly and gloomy here.
A bit of sunshine would not go amiss!

Hi, Rusty!
We had a good walk - the rain held off and the sun came out .......until we got back to the car and then it 'drizzled' again.
Not bad timing though, was it?
I was only guessing at the 20 volumes........no need for any apology!
I'm glad you enjoyed the cycle racing - the poor souls, I doubt that ice in pockets as a coolant lasted for very long!!!
I all but finished the Times puzzle........
mmmm......re 19d, "rubber" of the lamp (ie Aladdin) was, as you say , somewhat stretching it a bit!
I liked "gendarme" in that corner!
The one remaining, that I didn't do, was
6d : Philosopher on what is coming up (5)
H?G?L
Cannot do it?
Oops! I'm missing Eggheads........
Not to worry, it is recording!
I can watch it later.



Hello, Pigale!
Your books sound interesting!
I have had several just come from W of B - a very reliable company - the books are packaged well.
You mentioned postage?
"Used" books sent to a UK address, always cost £2-80, regardless from whence they come.... my book coming from the States was the same postage as one from Worthing!

Hello, Elle!
Yes, 6d, can certainly be considered tricky, especially to a "learner", shall we say?
"Philosopher on what is coming up" (5)
The answer is Hegel, Elle.
"On" is a cricket reference and is also known as "leg".
"What" is "eh?"
Coming up gives "Hegel".
Is that OK?

Hi, Rusty!
Oh, how I hate cricket references!
I know nothing about the game and always miss them!
Yes, thank you, Rusty, that is well explained - I would never have 'got it' by myself in a month of Sundays!
(Why a "month of Sundays"?)
And to add insult to injury, there was a cricket question in tonight's Eggheads, too!
To make me feel even worse, I do not know of " Hegel".
Funnily enough, do you remember explaining a clue/ answer to me the other day....... I cannot reproduce it now, but it was to do with "borers"?"
"Borer" was the answer to a clue in today's QC!
(This time I could do it!)

Hello, Elle!
I am the same regarding cricket, but lots of crossword abbreviations come from there!
Do not worry, they will sink in over time.
Brewers do not say "why" is it a month of Sundays.
Just a very long indefinite time.
I worked out Hegel, and Anne Bradford knows him, and he sounds very philosophical to me! So he'll do!
I vaguely remember borer, the clue was "wave for bore" partly.
This is the anniversary of Edith Cavell's execution in 1915.
She was a fine looking lady.

Hi, Rusty!
I did not know that it was the anniversary of Edith Cavell's death.
Yes, she was a very brave lady, nursing both Allies and Germans, and helping allied soldiers to escape from Belgium, back to Britain.
But there has been some controversy , hasn't there, over whether or not she worked for British Intelligence, sending back important information?
There is a statue in memory of her in Trafalgar Square.
I must have walked passed it many times.......
Younger daughter and I are going shopping tomorrow to buy presents for my granddaughter and her new half - brother - and, of course , their mum!
We shall have lunch out, too.
That will be nice.

Hello, Elle!
I don't know about her working for Intelligence.
Possibly.
Stella Rimington thinks she did.
The railway van in which her body was returned from Belgium has been preserved and is kept on the Kent and East Sussex Railway.
Do you know of it?
I have just finished The Last Tommies.
Amazing how many of them were over 100 when they died.
Yes, be nice having a day out with your daughter.
I am meeting Miss O on Friday for lunch.