Scotman Crossword

[vintner]

Gentlemen, many thanks for your help. Leafage solved the crossword and rendered all the surrounding clues correct

[Quizmonster]

Ah! Glad to hear that, V. I'm afraid, however, that I at least have still got no idea why!

[biley]

Yes, thanks for leting us know, Vintner.

Quizmonster - I gave a good reason as to why this was correct in my earlier post.

EA (pronounced as "E") together with another E makes the two "E's". Together with FLAG this makes the anagram of LEAFAGE. Ok not a brilliant clue but perfectly acceptable, I think.

[Quizmonster]

But, Biley, the 'oe' of 'oedipal' and the single 'i' in 'emir' are also pronounced 'ee'. On that basis, an equally-convincing case can be made for my 'foliage'...flag + oe +i anagrammatised. Hence, I still consider it to have been a loose clue...but what the hey! Cheers

[biley]

Yes, I am sorry to have sounded so dogmatic, Quizmonster. You are quite correct in saying it could have been either foliage or leafage with the letters as they were given to us and it is a loose clue in that sense, for sure - but I think you can take it as read that when vintner filled in the other clues that he got from here, only leafage would fit and it therefore had to be that - which is why I think that it was acceptable as it was. But agree - what the heck!

[Quizmonster]

Of course, you're right, B, but I do hate it when more than one answer to a crossword clue is possible and can be confirmed only by reference to surrounding answers. What if a key one of these is also as loose? There is, however, no appeal against the setter's decision as to which is "correct"...so 'leafage' it was! Cheers