Spectator 1887

[endanger33]

9d Mummy's boys (13) 6 & 8 both O

1a Tested out alright, excited (8)

29d A mere direction about soft measures (7)

41a Pines for vegetables all the time (10)

Many thanks
E

[DocHH]

Here are some hints to help you thnk a bit differently,
9d This is not a reference to a parent!
1a a word meaning tested with OK in it.
29d Electrical units
41a A reference to trees, what colour are some vegetables always?

[endanger33]

many thanks

evergreens?

[endanger33]

provoked?

[kayakamina]

Hi endanger

Evergreens is fine.

Were you asking about 6 & 8 down?

6d V o ices

8d Loran ...in the clue

regards K

[kayakamina]

yes Prov ok ed

[DocHH]

As Kayakamina said EVERGREENS is good as is PROVOKED.

[endanger33]

thanks all

K - see above - i was also after 29d and 9d

many thanks
E

[kayakamina]

Think of where mummies are dug up.

29d is an anagram 'a mere P S

Don't you do the Private Eye anymore I used to enjoy our exchanges!

[endanger33]

thanks K

I usually do - more often than not i manage to finish it on my own!
I must confess - in my new office there is a crossword maven here who would be welcomed in your ranks - he is often my first port of call...and then I bother the ABers....!

[CSIambleside]

Ummmm........... I've finished apart from 19d which is obviously one of the two French words. Does anyone else think that the use of French words is unfair - it's not central to the theme and the two words are probably only there because the setter has " painted himself into a corner ".

Any thoughts anyone ?

[bathtub]

Some of the more cynical among us might say that. I'm also uneasy about the solution to 40a.

Assuming it's 'tiret', the setter appears to be confused about his French printers' marks: tiret is an em-dash, not a hyphen.

[Christiana]

I agree, Bath-tub. It was the last one I put in, having thought twice about it, and, yes, CSI, I thought the same thing, that he, literally, found himself in a corner, with nowhere to go.

[CSIambleside]

Glad to see you both agree. I've been hunting around my house for the French dictionary that I know I have SOMEWHERE !

I won't ask for help as I'm off to W.HSmiths this afternoon anyway, and I've have a quick look in a French dictionary there.

[sarumite]

This on line reference may be useful CSIambleside?

http://www.wordreference.com/enfr/

[CSIambleside]

Thank you, sarumite, but my trip to WHS was successful.

My problem was that some previous WHITEing out had removed the endbar to 19d and I was mistakenly looking for a 10 letter word even though the clue clearly says (9).

I'll add your website suggestion to my Favourites for future reference.