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Almost perfect, grunger @237. 'had lain' is technically correct, but in that context I think 'was lying' is more idiomatic.

You don't hear or read 'lain' much nowadays. Probably going the same way as 'whom'.

Paul

Yes, "was lying" sounds better. I am pleased Chauffeur-Lay won it, after his "lay up".

Guardian today - I never miss John Crace's columns, but today he has "curtesy" (the portion of land left to a widow) where he meant "courtesy" (or possibly "curtsey"?).

ChrisE, 'curtesy' with that meaning is listed, defined in my Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, though it's not in Chambers.

Hello, Malone!
That meaning of "curtesy" is in my Chambers Dictionary 11th edition.
You, perhaps, have a newer edition, as they remove words that may no longer be in use, to make room for new words.

I've found "curtesy" in my Chambers, but it's the other way round from what Wiki had - it's the right of a widower to retain land that was owned by his wife.

Thanks, Rusty. I thought the word was so obscure that I checked my 'big' dictionary first, and only then remembered to look in Chambers. Mine is the 13th edition. I was also aware that the word mentioned had nothing to do with crosswords, so the 'usual reference' stuff mattered not one jot!
Still ChrisE and I have learned one new thing, one new word/use of a word - so that's always good.

ChrisE, sorry, I overlooked you earlier - I was too busy checking dictionaries! My SOED has the same definition as your Chambers, 'the right of a widower...' I think I read it too hastily earlier, assuming it was simply a widowed person. I was more interested in the new (to me) word than the specifics.

It is a problem that has puzzled me for some time, and nobody has given me a satisfactory answer. I suddenly realised this morning that I should go to the market café for the solution. I was soon at the counter.
I asked, “Cassie, how many beans make five?”
“What sort of beans?” she replied.
“Any sort you like, maybe baked beans.”
“You know we only do baked beans. Are you asking for a five-item breakfast, with beans?”
I was getting nowhere, and despite the problems I have had with multi-item breakfasts, I decided to order one.
“O.K. – Sausage, bacon, egg and double beans, please” I ordered.
“You cant have double beans. Beans is beans.”
“That’s not grammatically correct, I’m afraid” I said.
“Of course it’s right. Beans is beans as sure as eggs is eggs, my granny used to say. No matter how many beans you get, it is one item."
“In that case, I will have four items, please.”
“I’m still charging you for five” she said.

Jigjag

My father always used to ask this same question “ how many beans make 5?” I carried on the tradition with my brood.
His stock answer to baffled kids was “ a bean , a bean and a half, a bean, a bean and half a bean “.
When I retired, the kids commissioned Auricaria to produce a personalised family crossword and duly supplied the Reverend with lots of info, including the beans.
This was Auricaria’ s clue:
“ 5 in question and answer from production of Shane by woman”. (3,4,5)
Fond memories.

Stay safe.