ev 887

[MatydaLover]

Am having trouble justifying the answer to 50 D.

I guess my cat Gemini would also fit the theme?

[Mysterons]

What is the clue for this one please ?

[turnerjmw]

MatydaLover, I struggled with that too, but I've just remembered that an ovate is an Eisteddfod graduate who is neither a bard nor a druid. I can't work out the theme, though, so I don't know if your cat qualifies

[novalis]

Hi TurnerJMW!

MatydaLover's cat Gemini certainly qualifies fo the theme. Let's just say it was a "puzzling change". How the various compilers come up with their different ideas is beyond me.

MatydaLover!

What chance have your team in the Autumn internationals? Have just seen that your Rugby League team will be playing Scotland in the European Cup Final.

[MatydaLover]

The clue is "Make changes, scrapping Welsh graduate's hostel." (3). Thanks for the explanation turnermjw, good bit of memory work there. Now you mention it, I'm sure it came up in EV some time ago - don't think I'd have remembered though! Being born 400 yards from Cardiff Arms Park maybe I should have known it!

[MatydaLover]

Hello Novalis, as good as anyone's of course. We can be 40-0 down with 10 minutes to go and I'll still be optimistic. Ever the dreamer am I!

[copelander]

Hi! Matyd, Novalis Mysterons and Turnerjmw, I am not close to the theme, but the regular clue I can't fathom at the moment is 16a " adult, twice taken off drug, is to direct the steering of ....". Any help appreciated!

[MLN:RUGBY]

Copelander: re 16across
Adult = A
Twice = BIS

[copelander]

Thank you, MLN:RUGBY, Great advice, that's that clue sorted then!

[turnerjmw]

Many thanks for the elegant hint, novalis. The scales have fallen from my eyes. Ovate has appeared somewhere recently MatyDaLover, but I certainly can't remember where! Copelander, look for a three letter word meaning twice ( Latin, I think). I'm not sure if the actual answer is in Chambers, but it's certainly in Bradford, if you have it.

[DocHH]

Hello everyone, my Internet connection today has been really slow, to the point of being frustrating, so thanks to Matydalover for starting the N&C thread,though my internet connection is perhaps not as bad as Royal Mail deliveries! Matydalover, hope your cat is of a type!
Copelander, hope the holiday went well! No sign of Dr B to help though with help for EV access while you were across the pond. Would have thought that "twice" was in your Latin vocabulary in respect of prescribing drugs!
Many years ago EV did something similar, except it was the title "TIC OFF".
Oh well, back to the Tempranilla!

[copelander]

Welcome DocHh, Yes,

of course I should have recognised "twice". Now I do! MatydaLover, what a wonderful name for a cat.... it certainly did it for me. Thanks all, when the penny eventually dropped it was a really satisfying moment. We had a terrific time in the "fall foliage of the East Coast". Vermont was beautiful, plenty of apples and walking, but no time even to look for a newspaper and as no-one who was there was remotely interested in crosswords, I didn't think about them for 2 weeks. Good to be back.

[Christiana]

Just popping in to say hello. Glad you enjoyed your holiday Copelander. Only looked at EV in fits and starts but making good progress.

[ulysses100]

Like copelander, the penny eventually dropped, helped by noticing that there are four groups of differing lengths of words. When writing them out it became obvious what to do. I am sure that there was a similar crossword a few years ago which employed a similar solution.

[novalis]

Hi Ulysses100!

I recall one EV where all the letters of the thematic word were entered in random order as various unclued "answers".

[ringer]

Hi all
Managed this week's by this morning - "ace timing" for me though not as quickly as the last one. Quite satisfactory and I too vaguely remember something similar. Another theatre trip tomorrow - Chicago. Really wet and miserable here. Washed car - and is now filthy again. Ah well, what would we Brits do if we had nothing to complain about.!

[Mysterons]

Hi ringer - Hope you have a magic nite tomorrow !

[Christiana]

All finished now. Puzzled over unclued entries to start with, but like others have said it more or less sorted itself once the unclued ones were assembled. Hope you enjoy your theatre trip Ringer.