Ev 1606

[hankir]

Need help.
Some clues have no definition.

20. Quiet electronic piano follows etude's introduction (6) M?T?ON

Extra letters generated by wordplay in down clues.
I have no extra letters yet for 10d, 18d, 21d. My answers may be correct.

10d. Dishevelled scarecrow missing rolling acres? On the contrary. (4)
Thematic. Answer is remaining letters after eliminating acres.

18. Military intelligence report on live bacterium? (7)
The answer starts with M and ends in E with def . bacterium.

21. Becomes wearisome following mate of Ant's mouth organ (6)
3 letter word for mate repeated.

Thanks.

[Neveracrossword]

20 Two letter word for quiet, the introduction to etude and then abbreviation for electronic piano. That's the answer to the clue, not the entry...

[Neveracrossword]

For 10 D, remember there's a letter to be removed.

[ProfessorMaisie]

18 MI + CR[y] + O(short form of 'on') + BE ['y' extra].

[ProfessorMaisie]

PAL (after) PAL[l]('become wearisome') extra 'l' - PALPAL, mouthpiece of an ant.

[hankir]

Thanks NAC.
Not eating meat is a disadvantage.

Still not sure of extra letters in 10, 18, 21.

[ProfessorMaisie]

for 10 it's the 'r' from the remaining bird (to give a different animal as the answer).

[hankir]

Thanks ProfessorM.
I did figure out the phrase but not having monarchy here, will have to think what needs to be highlighted.

[ProfessorMaisie]

How's your medieval French, hankir?

[hankir]

Absolute zero, ProfessorM.

[ProfessorMaisie]

(Then look very far down the grid.}

[hankir]

Thanks ProfessorM.

It would never occur to most here that British royalty would use a French phrase.

I will ask a friend of mine who lived in France for a few years about this phrase.