Spectator 1872

[BigMac]

Stuck on two, so help gratefully received.

26d Closely surround half navy (5, two words) ?ETI?
36d Plunge into sea on the Riviera with goddess (5) M?RG?

(I want this last to be merge: mer = sea; g = goddess, but can't work out where the other 'e' comes from; or: R = Riviera g = goddess and then I'm stuck trying to find the sea; and I still can't work out merge = plunge)

[slaney]

26d Hem in
36d Mer..sea in (French)Riviera
Ge = goddess..alternative Gaia
.. but not completely happy about plunge=merge either.

[kayakamina]

I have HEM IN ......HEMI (half) +N (navy)

I agree MERGE (plunge) ..MER (French sea) +GE (Goddess)

[GRM]

26d - Your 'T' is wrong. Think of a four letter word meaning half (the world perhaps) and a single letter abbreviation for 'navy'.

36d Check the definition for 'merge in the dictionary (preferably Chambers). The goddess is 'Ge' (or Gaea), also in Chambers.

[slaney]

Thanks GRM...thought I'd checked Chambers, but obviously not!

[BigMac]

Thank you, all.

Much appreciated.