The Times 28428

[TioMateo]

Just 2 parsing queries :- Dog delivering bite, after jumping up, that is (4,3) S?A? P?I. The answer answer has to be SHAR PEI (Dog). I get the EI at the end, which is IE (that is) either "up" or "jumping up". But how does "delivering bite, after (jumping)" produce SHARP?

Lots of egg shell's left at the end of the day (7) U?P?E?N. Obviously it's UMPTEEN (Lots of). I get EEN (at the end of the day = evening = e'en), but I'm not happy about UMPT meaning "egg shell's left" or "Lots of egg shell's left". I suspect UMPT relates to the heart of HUMPTY or DUMPTY or both of them, but the words used just don't seem to justify that.

[ichkeria]

SHARP as in "acid"
(H)UMPT(Y) - no shell

[TioMateo]

Thanks,ichkeria. I accept(H)UMPT(Y) - no shell, but I don't like "acid". Is this an adjective from "delivering bite"? Or a noun - if so why? And how does "after jumping" fit in, given SHARP comes before EI not after it?

[ichkeria]

Adj =acid/sharp/biting

It's the IE that's jumping up to give EI: you mentioned that yourself in the OP

[Neveracrossword]

TimMateo, I took it that 'jumping up that is' led to Ei, the 'that is/ie' is to jump up. We've often to ignore pun ctuation, often deliberate punction, in puzzles.

Sharp = bite seems fine to me, my mother's retorts are often sharp, bite!

[ichkeria]

Sorry I see what you mean: IE becomes EI after it jumps