Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Good evening, Elle!
It was a tad cooler today, I thought.
Yes, nice days cheer folk up, indeed.
Miss L-B is great!
Hope your cat will be fine.
The squirrel pox, as far as I know, is down in the Borders.
Not here.
The squirrelcam has been not working for ages.
I wondered about cost of repairs, or replacement parts for the equipment, etc?
Poor wee Erchie has to visit Lassie now to get his picture taken!

Hi, Rusty!
Our weather must be somewhat different to yours... today has been our warmest day locally so far this "summer"!
And it is still a lovely evening!
We have been out in the garden......
I was obviously way out with my hypothesis about the squirrels...ah well!
I made a start on my crossword today...but didn't get very far as time did not allow for it.
I still have to catch up with "Eggheads"....
Have you --- or Miss L-B --- heard from the holiday makers today?

Hello, Elle!
It has been warm here but not as warm as yesterday.
Do not worry about your crossword puzzle, Elle, there will be another along tomorrow!
Miss L-B speaks to them every day, and I get WhatsApp messages.
I do not know where they were going today, but they told me their hotel is "African styled", whatever that means!

Hi, Rusty!
Speaking of......
There has been a lot of trouble over 'What's App' in the last few days, hasn't there?
I had meant to ask you whether you were affected by it?
I know a lot of personal information has been compromised, and users of the App were advised to update immediately.
I hasten to add that none of this means anything at all to me...it is just what I have read.
I learned something new tonight on "Eggheads"....
One of questions involved "dubstep"....
Have you heard of this?
Apparently it is a genre of music that became very popular in South London in the 1990s?
We are wondering why we have never heard of it?!
( Maybe a survey in the park is called for?)

Hello, Elle!
I've read about the WhatsApp trouble.
As far as I can gather, very few people were affected.
I followed the WhatsApp instruction to protect my account and that was that.
I was not one of those who were affected.
I like WhatsApp a lot, and all my family and friends use it, in preference to the usual text messaging.
I have not heard of "dubstep" music, but in my defence I will say that I am very old fashioned in my tastes, and it would likely pass me by.
Have a look on YouTube and you may find it?

Hi, Rusty!
Uhmm, I've looked on YouTube and watched couple of videos, but am not a lot wiser......
Wikipedia tells me that the dubstep style emerged as an offshoot of UK garage.......
I think I'll leave it al that!
Most probably a case where "ignorance is (indeed) bliss"!
I have been catching up on replying to a few emails......my correspondence has fallen behind somewhat with all these vet visits etc....
Time now for a coffee - and some of the delicious Ginger Thins that I bought from Ikea!

Good morning, Elle!
Fine morning here, but not so warm when I was out earlier.
No plans today, and I have completed my puzzle.
I have some books I'll head up to a charity shop with.
The "dubstep" music I would run a mile from.
I'm still getting up to speed with the "brush dance"!

Good morning, Rusty!
It was positively chilly when I went out just before 8 am!
Dull and overcast.....
I have done my crossword , too!
I though I would get an early start on it today.....
Leastways, I have completed all bar 14a..... and two others that I cannot fully parse, as yet.
I shall ponder ......
Are you bartering the books for teaspoons - maybe for your grandson?!

Hello, Elle!
Great weather here!
Just home.
I was at PDSA shop with books, but no trading today.
I have five teaspoons at present.
14a is fairly straightforward.
Think ski slopes!
I am having an early lunch then heading out while the weather is so good.
Tomorrow's forecast is not very nice!

Hi, Rusty!
You are lucky with your nice weather.
Here it has already changed....very grey...and feeling very cold, especially after an apparent 24C yesterday!
Today the temp is only expected to hit a high of 14C.
(And we haven't got there yet!)
What a difference!
I am afraid I cannot see 14a?
in Yorkshire, the tavern that provides this? (1,3)
I have ? / B?R
Something bar?
What has Yorkshire to do with it?
And why should I think of ski slopes?
I am sorry if I am being dim, here.....I think you will need to spell this out for me, please .....
And I cannot parse 11a: Does salt always stick to this big dish? (4,6)
I have "main course" = "big dish" (def)
But cannot see why?
Also, 11d: Garrulous, like a TV lunatic absorbing atmosphere (9)
This is obviously , "talkative" = "garrulous" (def)
Anagram of "like a TV" and "at"...
But where does the "at" come from?
I cannot find anywhere that says "at " is an abbreviation for "atmosphere"?
Btw, I see we have "Saki " and H . H Munro again...... this was in a puzzle not all that long ago.