Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Help, please. Problems with BT have meant very delayed Listener 4778 solve.

I now have full grid, second message, 3 names from the first message, but I am struggling with the final name. The last 5 letters are the same as the final 5 letters of a famous race horse, but the first 4 letters that I have don't produce anything sensible. Could you help with 4d, please, maybe that will clarify matters.

Thanks.

A word for the nozzle of a bellows which emits a gust of air - alter 'boasts' for the first def (2nd def - more trite).

...and yes to the horse/dancer

Thanks drxx, that has produced a sensible 'changed' letter.

I've obviously more to do with this final name, in finding other corrections, as I still cannot find a female (the others I've identified are 2 male, one female).

The letters I have for this final name are:
39a clue -alter 1st word, 3rd letter.
2d clue - alter 8th word, 3rd letter.
3d clue - alter final word, 1st letter.

Those letters plus the one you've just helped me with, and the last five seem to produce nothing!

Maybe I should concentrate on this week's puzzle instead!

For 39 alter the 3rd word (final letter) to a word for 'status', cass.

Oh, drxx, what an idiot I am! Of course....

Many thanks - I should now have more success, and give this aged brain of mine a rest.

Very enjoyable as always and fully complete, but just a couple of queries, if I may

13a I would add my voice to those wondering about the ‘happily’ in the clue, as it’s not in BRB
14a can’t work out the wordplay at all, although the definition is clear enough with the letter change
19a what’s “substitute” doing there?
31a why does brother denote the word it does in the word play?

Many thanks!

14a - 2 Scottish words ('for Ian') 'fere' inside the usual 'enclosure'.
19 - A beadsman (in the Chambers definition) is someone who prays for someone else., exclamation
31 - It's lord! (reversed) for the exclamation 'brother'!

Yes, 'happily' isn't in the definition for 13a but, as it's closely associated with lurching/reeling, it didn't worry me too much (although they're also not in the rather skimpy Chambers def - nor is the amended word in the clue!).

...sorry, a stray 'exclamation' somehow crept into 19a, please ignore.

Gotcha. Many thanks! Think I would have preferred Iain in 14