ev 804

[crofter]

I have a slight problem in that I can only trace 17 of the 18 mismatches. I am left with an (R,R)-match!

Have I slipped up somewhere ~ or is this just a false mismatch as it were? Since there WAS a winner, it doesn't present a major problem, but I DO feel a little uneasy about it!

[novalis]

If I can see properly to type this I agree from what I managed to struggle through yesterday between squints and watering eyes. My problem is that I can't get an angle on the answer to18d which contains three of the clashing.cells as far as I can make out. A hint on that would be appreciated. I know what leter is unclued but just can't see it.

[crofter]

Happy to return one of your many favour novalis

The whole thing means "decks in precious stones"

Gets on well = GEES

I hope this helps! If not please return via this posting!

[midazolam]

yes there must be an r-r match. dont feel uneasy - the winner is what must be entered

[novalis]

Crofter,

Many thanks for your help. I can now catch the post with it today. My eyes are now open enough to be able to walk to the post-box but I had to ask a friend to take my car for its MOT this morning. Driving is still out.

[crofter]

novalis Your injuries sound pretty horrific. I do hope you are on the mend soon. Your input regarding EV is always well received.

midazolam Thanks for the reassurrance. I dread to think what would happened had there been a(nother) draw. There are some 10 positions where the (R,R)-cell could be blanked!

[novalis]

Thank you for your concern and kind comment. It was just one of those things. Faces and low-hanging but sturdy tree branches don't mix. The swelling has all but gone round one eye and is disappearing from round the other ( I don't look anything like the picture on my new bus-pass at the moment ) but it was my own fault for swerving instead of trying to jump over the dog muck. Instead of making a mess of my new trainers I made a mess of my face. In a sense I was very lucky. Had the branch been pointing towards rather than across my face it would probably have pierced whatever part of my face/eye which came into contact with it. Anyway, I hope to be fully back on song by weekend ready for the next exploration of the wonderful world of EV.

[cruciverbali]

Dimitry is far too expert to allow any ambiguity in one of his puzzles - had there been a repeat of 1877 then there is only one R-R square that should have been left blank.

C