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As Times 28050 is under discussion I imagine Malone would both love and hate 4d:

Paint entrance for speaker in French department (4, 3)

with its apostrophe but dodgy double homophone relying on both English and French accents.

Thanks Jono, Grunger and Paulhabershon.

Paul... I found that 'Paint entrance...' clue a little irritating. The apostrophe bothered me more than the 'sounds like' ('allegedly sounds like') as I don't like removing necessary apostrophes. The words never look right without them, and can sometimes be quite ... ugly.

Grunger, I had to have Chambers beside me when I was listing the boating words, to ensure the proper distribution of apostrophes.

I have previously written unsuccessfully to The Times about 'off his own back' (sic), so I enjoyed this letter from Saturday's edition:

Sir, Mrs Malaprop would be in her element had she been commentating on the Olympic Games this year. She would have had stiff opposition, however, to judge by the mangled idioms spoken by several of the commentators: 'Off his own back'; 'They are having a conflab'; 'Edging their bets' and that old chestnut 'In one fowl swoop'. The abundance of regional accents on radio and television is to be applauded but ignorance of the language is not.

Jane Edwards
Eldersfield, Worcs

RT 33 18a
Network of rivers for East Anglian women (7,6)
Apart from the non-PC use of "women", the definition, is, for the majority, just wrong.

2 uses of the dreaded "it" in Times today. Not happy.

Chrise

I dont like this word for "women" either, though some slang I dont mind.

Most of them aren't rivers - in fact rivers don't even flow through them. They are flooded peat-diggings.

Chrise

Yes thanks. I thought it a poor clue on several counts.

Grunger

I agree but it was nice to see 1A after it was discussed in depth here last year. Rosalind will be pleased no doubt.

i haven't seen rosalind here for a while - i hope that she is ok

Chrise

Yes lets hope so.