Saga, December.

[tony keates]

Am a little bit stuck and looking for help, please!

6ac. A term of endearment reciprocated in Sicily (6). I have L?????

10ac. Mocking bird with tips of tail blue or grey (8). I have R?T?????

13ac. Make soundings to check diamond's quality (4,3,5). I have ???? THE ?????

13d. Medicinal plant hill folk mostly cultivate (9). I have ????E????

14d. Retired primate has strong feeling about Roman Catholic diocese (9). I have E???????E

[crofter]

13d is tormentil

[crofter]

14d is eparchate

[crofter]

Tony In 6ac, check your L the answer is RAGUSA - that is A SUGAR reversed!

[crofter]

1ac is RAILERY = RAIL + ends of blue + or + grey!

[crofter]

For 13ac, all I can suggest is TEST THE STONE!

[crofter]

1ac SPELLING!! It should read RAILLERY - Sorry!

[patsyann]

I managed to complete this months Saga Crossword in record time of 3 Hours for me. I have Exarchate for 14d rather than eparchate.I think ex is more appropriate for retired primate. 13ac I can only think of test the water and would appreciate confirmation and an explanation of why.I know diamonds are called ice so maybe it is a test to see if the water is safe to walk on?I agree with the other answers you have been given.Please can anyone explain 13ac for me.

[crofter]

Hi patsyann. I went for EPARCHATE for the folowing reasons. Primate = APE (retired = reversed) to get EPA. Then we agree the strong feeling = HATE and these go about RC (= Roman Catholic).

I agree that eparchate and exarchate are similar in their definitions, but with your reasoning you may have difficulty explaining the first letter A.

I confess that I too did not like TEST THE STONE and would prefer TEST THE WATER, but I could find the link with Diamonds!

[patsyann]

Thank you Crofter I can now see that Eparchate is correct.I have put out a separate request for a solution to 13ac to seek other opinions.

[tony keates]

Many thanks crofter and patsyann! The answers - and the discussions about them most entertaining!

[crofter]

Tony A lot of us are thinking on our feet in real time,as it were. Sometimes the number of letters is not given, other times the known letters are not given! Often the letters given may not be correct. That's all part of the game!

I agree that it becomes interesting when conversations develop and the reader begins to gain insight into the weird and wonderful logic being applied.

Thank you for the questions in the first place!