Ev 1577

[hankir]

The answer length for each of the following may be different because another word may replace it in the grid.
1. Vital juice for a French digger (7)
23 Scots knew this was used for leaping ditches in Ayr (6)
39 Fix road missing third strip of iron (7)
43 Very popular European grape producer (7)

Thanks

[Captain2]

43 V-in-E = Grape producer?

[Captain2]

^^^ or am I missing something with word length?

[hankir]

Thanks Captain2.
Vine may be right. It is a thematic clue. Grid entry would be 7 letters.
I have to figure out what the grid entry would be.

[ProfessorMaisie]

1 SAPPER 23 KENT 39 NAILROD 43 yes, VINE

[Neveracrossword]

Vine is definitely correct.

[Neveracrossword]

There are 10 thematic entries- and more than one features in Hankir's list.

[Loki2034]

43 needs to undergo a reality check before entry.
1 sapper. Also needs to change.
39 nail ro(a)d
23 kent. Also needs to change.

[Captain2]

ProfM and/or NaC, please explain 23 Kent for me. Clueless of Wilmslow. :))

[ProfessorMaisie]

It's a pole used for vaulting over streams in Scotland and also dialect there for 'knew', captain2.

[ProfessorMaisie]

(I think they make bridges now.}

[Captain2]

Pretty obvious then? Thanks ProfM.

Why do these type of crosswords include so many obscure/redundant Scottish words?

[ProfessorMaisie]

Because they're all in Chambers - loads of them!

[ProfessorMaisie]

...and Chambers was based in Edinburgh originally.

[Neveracrossword]

Captain2, I agree with you in general - but 'kent' isn't at all obscure or redundant, I hear it fairly often!

[ProfessorMaisie]

Yes, it's often used for 'knew', but I doubt it gets many outings for jumping over ditches, Neveracrossword.

[hankir]

Thanks everyone.
I did find grid entries for sapper, kent and vine.
Had to google the original answer with the connecting word and find the grid entry.

I have grid entry to 20d but not the original answer.

[ProfessorMaisie]

anag 'steer for' def 'woodsman', hankir.

[hankir]

Thanks ProfessorM. I was only looking for anagram of steer.

Now to IQ.