Spectator 1915

[greyfox]

Good morning Speccie-ites. 'Having one too many' by Lavatch is this week's challenge:

http://www.spectator.co.uk/article_assets/arti cledir_7269/3634608/crossword.pdf

[MLN:RUGBY]

6 across: answer has 7 letters!
Cheers! ;-)

[kayakamina]

Thanks greyfox.

Good Health everyone!

[AHearer]

Many thanks. Hope you don't all come up too quickly with the solution.

[mad max]

many thanks for link

[crofter]

Yippee! I have won a prize for 1912: Musical as one of the runners up. At last, I can have an up-to-date edition of Chambers Dictionary!

Many Thanks greyfox for the weekly links!

[Mysterons]

Congratulations crofter - enjoy your new dictionary !!

Thanks again for the regular link greyfox - I wonder why this week's theme is so popular with the setters ?

[turnerjmw]

Thanks for that. Typically good fun from Lavatch. I'm happy with the answer, but anyone care to enlighten me on the wordplay for 22dn, though? Am I wrong in thinking the bird is the fifth to seventh letters, as it doesn't get me far - or maybe I've gone pie-eyed. Cheers

[crofter]

Your bird is correct ~ to be "embraced" by CH and an anagram of TOPS.

[turnerjmw]

Many thanks, crofter. A heavy night last night, but no excuse for not seeing that. Much appreciated!

[robinruth]

'Sant�' to all of you from over the Channel.

[crofter]

The only word I can find to fit 27d (and using the remaining two unchecked letters) doesn't seem to fit the overall theme? Can anyone enlighten me?

[kayakamina]

Well done crofter on your win.

27d is an anagram of Editors. Are you referring to another clue?

[Christiana]

Many thanks for the link Greyfox. Congratulations and enjoy the Chambers, Crofter. I won one fairly recently in a different competition, but it's still not the latest edition, so I'll go on circling the word 'dictionary' and live in hopes.

[oldenburg]

Another treat of a crossword but struggling with 20D (& hence last unclued light) ?A?I?G (plus a spare 'D') - & I too need a dictionary - mine is falling to bits!

[greyfox]

Congratulations crofter!

Don't worry that it's not the latest Chambers edition. I've got the new one, but still use my battered previous edition without suffering any negative cruciverbal consequences.

[turnerjmw]

Oldenburg, the "spare letter" is at the beginning, and the the leg is the fourth to sixth letters of the whole seven letter word

[oldenburg]

Thank you turnerjmw - a great help

[novalis]

Many thanks for the link Greyfox.

Congratulations Crofter! It's a well-deserrved success especialy given the help and support you so freely give to everybody on this forum.

[crofter]

Thanks for the Congrats ~ Much appreciated!

As for the comment of kayakamina, he's quite right in assuming that my reference was to the wrong clue.

I should have quoted 32d SMOKE ~ and asked how does THAT fit in with the general theme?

I must have been on a bender to read 32 as 27. My eyes are not what they used to be. (Not much is!)