Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Thanks, brendan and geeker; I see it now.

May I ask then for a hint for 7d as I suspect it's a UK political reference that perhaps a Canadian can't get (even if she was born there a long time ago). Quick Solve offers 5 possibilities but none of them seem right.

Stuck on both 21's but want to keep going.

Philo, see brendan@21 for 24

7d, UK political reference that totally escaped me, but it's related (via pairs of ellipses) to the subject of 6d...think of Brian DePalma's oeuvre; google perhaps required.

Oh, and I loved 21d and 10a. I can't parse 19a, though.

Thanks Jenn,

7d - Is literally the 'PM's "closest" advisor' and also the name of a "horror one" (following from 6d).

Hi Philo,

19a - Single letter "one" + 4 letter "right" (legal) inside/'among' 4 letter "others" - definition is "tough"

Thanks geeker

I think in addition to the PDM there should be SLF, as in 'slap the forehead' when you've realised how obvious it had been all along.

The whole thing made me smile, though, so thanks to Vlad.

Thanks geeker, got it. As for the 21s... I'll take a break now and see if the answers pop into my head when I return in a few hours - as they often do.

Hi jennarallisima

I wrote a long thread earlier, but it wouldn't go, so watched Montalbano and now I'm back. Then I had six more to do, but have reduced that to two.

I need a hint for 22ac and for 7d. I read the earlier hints for 7d, but didn't understand them.

Are my letters right.

22ac I have R?O?I?R
7d I have ?A?R?E

Jenna...
21ac is a hidden backwards meaning next. It took me ages to see it.

21d the definition is a letter. Usual short word for "boy" round "lots of information", but not a usual word - think computer.

My cod remains 10ac and my LOI will be either 22ac or 7d.

By the way, I share results with my friend in Sheffield on Sunday morning. She'd never heard of Dr Suess either (from last week) and couldn't finish. At least I have the forum to fall back on.

Hi Roof,

22a - homophone of a 6 letter "private" (in the army) - definition is "grudge" - Your O and I are wrong.

7d - The other half of 25a and also the name of a famous "horror" (film) - Your letters are correct.

For the correction to the incorrect O and I in 22a ...

20d - 3 letter "wrong" + 3 letter "family" - definition is "finally register"

17d - 4 letter "cry" + 4 letter" due to" - definition is "looking old"

Oh roof! You've saved my day! To think I work in IT and didn't see 'lots of information' in 21D!
Not getting 21A is a deep embarrassment; I should have got it sooner.

On to next week...