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elle

10th June 2017, 22:35
Hi, Rusty!
No, you are off the hook there.........I'd never heard of Danny Jones either ( sorry, Danny...) but he seems a nice young man, judging from tonight's viewing.
Although I do know of "Mcfly"!
I cannot do your clue?
I am somewhat at a disadvantage as I do not have any crossers?
Not that I expect I could do it even then!
There are several poems and a book, written by different authors, entitled "The Flight of Youth"...and an igloo is a white house?
No?
I didn't think that would be of any help!
Maybe give me a few hints?
I haven't done any of the crosswords today.....never got around to it!
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rusty

10th June 2017, 22:49
Hello, Elle!
You are on the right track with poem.
A poem by an English poet I have never heard of.
(But as I said earlier, there are many things I do not know, that others do!)
According to Wikipedia the opening line of the poem (which this is) has acquired "classic" status.
I am not sure the clue works, however, but this was many years ago when setters were not as good as they are now.
A White House is relevant, but not an igloo.
Think Italian.
I had a vague notion of the Italian White House and investigated it and was pleasantly surprised to find out I had had a good guess!
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rusty

10th June 2017, 22:54
Actually, Elle,
the more I think about it, it is a poor clue.
It is not really cryptic.
You need knowledge of the poem and the background to the poem, and could not deduce the answer from the clue alone.
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elle

10th June 2017, 23:10
Hey, Rusty!
I see that I misread the clue......and that it is "Plight" and not "Flight" as I'd originally thought?
This has thrown me as regards the poem........
How about something to do with "Casablanca" ?
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rusty

10th June 2017, 23:17
Hello, Elle,
Yes, well done, Casabianca, is the Italian White House.
And.... "Casabianca" is the title of the poem!
So you are almost there.
I am impressed!
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elle

10th June 2017, 23:24
Hi, Rusty!

"The boy stood on the burning deck".........whence all but he had fled.....

I don't know any more!
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rusty

10th June 2017, 23:32
Hello, Elle!
Yes, that's it! Splendid!
You did very well!
The boy was Giocante Casabianca, and the incident happened aboard the French ship "Orient" during the Battle of the Nile, in whenever.
It is not a good clue, though.
I think the solver is expected to know too much about the poem.
But that was back in the days when The Times cryptics were aimed at the Oxbridge crowd.
Nowadays of course, anyone can tackle them.
I think you should reward yourself, Elle, with a coffee and a sticky bun!
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elle

10th June 2017, 23:46
Hi, Rusty!
Oh good, I got it right then!
I knew the first two lines of the poem, so didn't even have to look it up!
I enjoyed that....... it was difficult, but a rewarding challenge!
( I have just had a coffee and two potato cakes!)
Completely irrelevant to previous conversation, I have got a sore big toe!
No idea what I have done ......
Right, resting on my laurels.......I am away to my bed....
'Night!
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chrise

11th June 2017, 07:36
Much parodied. e.g.
The boy stood on the burning deck
His pocket full of crackers
A spark flew up his trouser leg
And blew off both his........arms

The boy was the captain's son, I think. Felicia Dorothea Hemans
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rosalind

11th June 2017, 08:31
Hi chris. Did you get some treatment for your tooth?

Not only was the boy the Captain's son, they were French! In the Battle of the Nile (1798) the 17 French ships were anchored as close as they could be to each other and the shore, apparently so they could only be attacked from one side....Nelson, however, had other ideas. Only 4 French ships escaped.
Just in case anyone is wondering, chris has given the name of the poet(ess), not the boy! I think the poem is pretty dreadful, but then I don't like "If I should die..." either.

The boy lay on the burning deck
His other leg nearby....

Sorry.
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