The Week 1229

[Chaseman]

Last two to get

13a Group of herons, day coming in for time in place (5) S?E?E. Could it be siege? Collective noun for bitterns but not herons AFAIK.

22d Black and slack by the sound of it (4) S?O? Soot? Can’t rationalise it.

[writesbad]

13a sedge

[aelmpvw]

22d sloe

[Chaseman]

Writesbad I don’t think that can be right. Letters are S?E?E unless I have the answer to 2d wrong which is “Dim former pupil undoubtedly catching cold”. Answer “obscure” Old Boy OB with Sure (undoubtedly) containing a C (cold).

Thanks for Sloe

[shoota]

Hedge
Bitterns and Herons
Bitterns A dash, pretense, sedge, siege
Herons A battery, hedge, pose, rookery, scattering
Egrets A congregation, RSVP, skewer, wedge

[shoota]

Sorry, I meant to put 'Hedge ?'

[Chaseman]

Hedge doesn’t fit either. Letters are S?E?E hence only Siege of the supplied collective nouns fits, but why “coming in for time in place”?

[shoota]

EG (say - for example) replacing T (time) in SITE - place

[donny48]

Shoota, does the clue read"say" and not"day" as given?

[Calibax]

Chambers has siege as an alternative for a group of herons

[shoota]

I believe so Donny, the clue has been used elsewhere with 'say' rather than 'day'.
https://www.wordplays.com/crossword-solver/group-of-herons,-say-coming-in-for-time-in-place-(5)

[Chaseman]

“Say” is correct. Day was wrong, sorry. Therefore Shoota has cracked it. But definitions do not state “siege” as collective noun for herons, just bitterns! Benefit of doubt to setter.