Guardian Genius 66

[sjd]

Couple left...

2D Square to duke with call to bull (5) P_A_A
- looks like plaza, but I can't explain why.

25D "Watch the birdie'"s comment (4) _E_P
- best I can do is peep

Any help welcomed!

Stephen

[genius1933]

2d--sounds like the duke of Plaza Toro-Gilbert & Sullivan

[Quizmonster]

I used plaza, simply because it fitted the letter-pattern!
Peep = watch and also the sound of a little bird...ie the 'comment' it makes.

[Quizmonster]

I should have added above that I was at first convinced the setter had telescoped the two clues for 1 and 2 down. In 2, square = s...for = pro and duke = d usually, giving sprod which - believe it or not - is a name given to a salmon, the seeming keyword in 1!
In fact, I even imagined it might be deliberate and that we were supposed to put answers into different places throughout!
Hence my confusion over plaza.

[sjd]

Thanks for the replies. I was unaware of the G&S character - it makes perfect sense now!

I think I was looking too hard at the second clue - not all Araucaria clues are devious!

Thanks again

Stephen

[Deviant]

Ah, peep! The other I can't get is
24D Peg contributing to Tees (5) G_E_A

Greta is all I can think of, but I don't see any connection with the clue in any form.

[Rollo]

I don't get the "peg" but the River Greta is a tributary of the River Tees.

[ulysses100]

Peg and Greta are diminutive forms of Margaret (?)

[Deviant]

Ah thanks. Despite coming from Newcastle, I've never heard of the river & I don't think I'd have registered that Greta was a diminutive of Margaret.