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Elle, I agree but there again, there are a lot of supposed homonyms with which I do not agree!
ie ortho and author - which they used twice! I reckon the majority of setters do not know the sound 'R'!

Thanks for info on Shakespeare - I would not have found that;
the only Shakespeare I have ever studied is A Midsummer Night Dream - and even then, I only remember a few 'obvious' characters.

Good day, Elle!
Great weather here.
I visited the cemetery earlier today,
then visited Horace, now home for the day, I think.
There is the Gent-Wevelgem bike race on TV, for me later.
That's good you heard from your family!
The "synonym" clue only works if you speak like the setter.
Setter is using "syno" for "sinner/reprobate".
He/she also uses "ortho" for "author" in another clue.
Poor stuff, and adds another level of difficulty (which I do not mind) to the clue, as many of us do not speak like that and wonder what he is meaning.
Laura Muir is having a great time doing altitude training in the Pyrenees!
BGT returns to the screen in April.

Hello, Jazzgirl!
I watched the Wild Ireland progs.
The photography was superb and I liked the presenter who I have never seen before.
And it was great to see bits of Donegal!

Hi Rusty
I knew you would enjoy it :) I will watch again as there are often parts I miss on first viewing.

Hi, Rusty!
We are about to go out very soon.... first stop, the Crematorium, and then taking the dog for a walk.
"Horace the horse on the merry -go - round"?
Is he 'speaking' to you yet?
I am getting fed up with these poor homophones!
To some extent, I can put up with those involving local dialects.....such as cockneyisms.........but where the "Queen's English" is concerned , I do not feel there should be any excuse or leeway.
"Ortho" either sounds like "author" or it doesn't........
Am I making sense?
Anyway, it's another bee in my bonnet!
I do wonder how Laura manages to juggle her veterinary studies with her athletic training!
She is one very determined (and admirable) young woman!
I must away... enjoy your bike race!
Catch up later.......

Hello, Elle!
No, Horace is quite aloof with me.
Or sensible...
The thing is, Elle, the setters clues are okayed by the crossword editor. In The Times that's Richard Rogan who hails from NI, and over there they certainly do not pronounce "author" as "ortho", or "sinner" as "syno", so it is a bit of puzzle!
Laura has been enjoying snowball fights in the Pyrenees!
She has a lot on her plate with her studies and training.
I agree, one admirable young lady!

'ortho' is normally a prefix, as in 'orthodox'. It then sounds like author, I think!

Ortho does not sound like author to me.
If it was "aurthor", it would be close.
It depends on where you come from and how you speak.
If you pronounce the "r", or not.

Hi, Rusty!
We are home again at last!
We walked a lot further than we originally intended.
It is such a lovely day and the dog is no longer limping, so we decided to drive out a little way, and walk in one of the larger country parks.
( I am glad to sit down now, though!)
How did the cycling go?
Or is it still happening?

Hello, Elle!
Good news about your dog!
Yes, take it easy after your trek.
It is warm and sunny here.
Quite a few out enjoying the good weather.
I only watched the last half hour of the cycling.
Race was won by Greg van Avermaet (he rode well).
Pete Sagan was third.
Great weather in Belgium, too.
Next week is the second of this year's cycling "monuments",
the Tour of Flanders.
One of my favourites, over the steep cobbled climbs.

Hi, Rusty!
Speaking of cobbles........
I was brought up in a cobbled street, in Bolton!
Fortunately, not many people could afford cars in those days, as the cobbles would presumably not have been good for the suspensions?
A car was indeed quite a rarity in our neighbourhood.
However, I have just now looked up similar property on Zoopla......and guess what?
The roads are still cobbled!
Now that is indeed amazing........I never expected that!
I have been very lucky today....
I have two bouquets of flowers, a box of Ferrero Rocher, and a voucher for Amazon!
So I shall now go browsing for books.........