Sunday Express Skeleton Sunday March 17Th 2013

[filbertfox11]

Last 3. 15a. Setback after setback, gets one down (4). ?N?G. Is it SNAG ? but I can't see why. 21a. Pass by, having something left. (4). ?I?A. 24d. Tenor bearing right, not sour. (4). ?U?N. I have seen this answered as TURN but I fail to see why.

[filbertfox11]

Thanks a lot methyl

[cupid04]

That's what I thought, lol!^^

[filbertfox11]

Thanks cupid04

[filbertfox11]

Thanks methyl but I already have ?U?N and I have checked out the two known letters.

[filbertfox11]

Sorry for the confusion. I'm getting too tired and lazy.

[starveall]

Well done, Methyl! I don't have any answers, but that's much easier to read & to understand.

[filbertfox11]

Apologies also to starveall.
It reminds me of school reports - "Could do better".
Let's hope the next one says "Making some progress".

[starveall]

Hi filbert fox! Are you absolutely certain that your letters are correct for 24d?

[filbertfox11]

Hi starveall. Yes I am.

The U comes from 26a. "Ouch!" about a cut from vampires that's hurt (7). Answer is WOUNDED. WO = OUCH and UNDEAD (with the A cut) is UNDED. The third letter, "U", is the second letter of 24d.

The N comes from the tenth letter of 27a. The answer for 27a is MEDITERRANEAN. The clue is - A neat reminder about water. The answer is an anagram of "a neat reminder".

I hope this helps.

[filbertfox11]

Hi again,

I've solved 24d! It is TURN. To turn means to make or go sour.

T is an abbreviation for tenor.

Bearing right not = UN (prefix for NOT) bearing R for RIGHT.

I worked this out with the help of the Free Dictionary & Thesaurus on the web. Thanks for the time you have spent on this.

This just leaves 15 across to solve.

[bibblebub]

it is SNAG [=setback]

after setback = reverse...
gets = GAINS
one down = remove the I

SNA(i)G

[bibblebub]

...SN(i)AG

as it should have been typed

[filbertfox11]

Many thanks for the explanation bibblebub.

[dannyk13]

15a.Snag
21a.Visa
24d.Turn