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Good afternoon, Rusty!
That is good that your radiator was fixed so quickly!
And at least you discovered the problem now, before the weather becomes very cold.
Although the Winter seems very far away, today.....
We have bright blue sky, and sunshine...and a warmer temperature than of late...20C this afternoon.
Very pleasant!
I now have hair an inch shorter in length!
As dog had hers cut last week, we make a matching pair?
I shall print out my crosswords....and endeavour to solve a few clues.
I expect you finished your puzzle earlier?

Hello, Elle!
Yes, these particular valves are known for the pin sticking in them.
It is a fine day here, too.
I finished my puzzle online this morning.
Was a good one.
I did not buy me a paper today, as I stayed put a-waiting my gas engineer.

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, it was a nice puzzle today, with only one clue that I couldn't do.....
6d: Old European to sing about good in humans (3-6)
C?O - ?A?N?N
And I have a query with the parsing in 7d: Homer's initial appears in irrational letter to Greeks (3)
I have "phi" = letter to Greeks (definition)
H - Homer
But I couldn't see what "pi" meant in that context?
Now.... I have two fantastic words for you!
Both were new to me.... I found them when browsing on the computer.
"Mageirocophobia", which means "a fear of cooking food"
(Do you think I can get out of cooking dinner by pleading this?)
and "Anatidaephobia" which apparently means "a fear that a duck is looking at you" !!
I am not sure whether I believe that last one...I cannot find any reference to it in Chambers or Collins!
I shall do some research on it later......!

Good evening, Elle!
Fine evening!
Not long in. I was out for a walk for an evening paper.
Now, 6 is Cro-Magnon. "Croon" around "ma g n."
I have "phi" too, Elle, but am lost with the parse.
"pi" has several meanings but "irrational" escapes me.
"pi" is to do with mathematics, and means "good", too.
But, no, I am beat on that one.
i have never heard of your new words.
The first one almost applies to me, as I do as little cooking as I can get away with!

Update, Elle!
Hold that result on "pi"!
I have found it!
It is "irrational", though way over my head!

https://www.mathsisfun.com/irrational-numbers.html

Hi, Rusty!
Do you have a "free" local evening paper?
We have the "Evening Standard", which can be picked up from our local Sainsburys, from about 3pm.
I have never heard the word "Cro-magnon", although I can follow the parsing now that you have explained it!
Thank you, I would never have arrived there on my own.
Regarding 7d: I knew of course that "pi" means "saintly"...... and also that "pi = 3.142".....
But I had never heard the term "irrational" applied to the figure.
And I did "A-Level" Maths!
Well done in finding that out!
I liked 18a: "paranormal" and 19d: riposte.
I, too, try to get away with doing as little cooking as I can!
I cook for necessity.......but fortunately my husband cooks for pleasure!

Hello, Elle!
No, I paid money for the paper.
I do not think there are free newspapers here.
Possibly on the buses, but I'm not sure.
I buy the evening paper once in a blue moon.
It's content is not up to much and it contains far too many ads.
Cro-Magnon is the name of a site in France, Elle, where ancient human skeletons have been found.
The name is reasonably well known.
I know nothing about Maths, I'm afraid.
I got arithmetic at my school, though.
You are like me, I'm not keen on cooking at all.
Though I made porridge for my dinner today.
Does that count as cooking!

We are regarded as being Cro-Magnons, elle - the most recent (sub?)species of Homo sapiens.

Hi, Rusty!
The (free) Evening Standard is not too bad...but the London Metro (also free) - available from the railway stations in the mornings - is pretty trashy.
That is mainly ads.
We only buy a newspaper on Sundays.....The Sunday Times, with its various supplements takes all the week to read!
No, I've never heard of "Cro-magnon", Rusty.....I am learning a lot today!
I CAN cook, I just don't enjoy doing it!
We eat well, and sensibly...but to me, cooking is a "duty"......not a "delight"!
You are one up on me...I do not know how to make porridge!
Right, I must go and give the dog her bedtime biscuit a bit earlier than usual.....
She is having a tooth out tomorrow, so cannot eat anything after 10pm tonight.
We need to be at the vets for 9am tomorrow.......


Hello, Chris!
Thank you for the info on "Cro-magnon"....
I am learning a lot of new words today!

Hello, Elle!
Sunday is the day I do not buy a paper!
I knew a tiny bit about Cro-Magnon.
I was very interested when Otzi the Iceman was found in a melting glacier a few years ago.
I think they estimated he lived 5,000 years ago.
I read quite a bit about Otzi, and what they worked out about how he lived and his clothes and diet.

My porridge takes two minutes in my microwave!
I doubt if that is classed as cooking!

Here's a little clip.
It appears that Sissel and Paddy Moloney are good friends!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRr_RAzGfp0