The Week 1075

[SarahBandB]

9a 'What an ally is for most' 6,3. I think the answer is 'nearly all' which fits the definition 'most' but I don't understand the cryptic bit. There is the use of the letters in 'an ally' but that leaves 'erl'. Have I got it wrong?

[dannyk13]

What letters do you have?

[dannyk13]

Mainly all?

[fiction-factory]

Yes, the pattern might give us a lead. It does look at first glance as if the setter has missed something. Ae there any special instructions with this crossword?

[donny48]

It would not be the fact that "an ally" is nearly all the letters for nearly all, very vague but all I can think of. Give me your opinion on that please, Danny.

[SarahBandB]

I have N _ _ _ L _ / A _ L

[fiction-factory]

I wondered about that but t's only two thirds of it though rather than nearly all. If it were 3,6 the answer could be TWO THIRDS. The pattern would help

[dannyk13]

I went by the fact that all are the main letters of ally.

[dannyk13]

What is the clue giving the 'n'?

[fiction-factory]

Nearly all must be right then but the clue looks wrong

[fiction-factory]

I a pretty certain NEALY ALL will be right but I'm struggling to parse unnless it is just as danny says ALLY is nearly ALL. It just seems the wrong way round to me- ALL is nearly ALL of ally

[fiction-factory]

^Nearly all.
Keyboard misses out letters sometimes

[SarahBandB]

Sorry Danny, I was half way through answering your theory and my computer went on a 'go slow'! My husband thought the same as you, but I can't see why that works - or, at least, it seems tortuous. The clues that give me my letters are 'Training in Kentish Town' 8,6 'saNdwich course'; 'What to draw from annual leave before period cut short' 7 'hoLster'; 'Slate Russian leader upset about nothing' 5 'roAst' and Everyone previously around Washington gets payment' 9 'alLowance'.

[dannyk13]

Your intersecting clues look right so I would go with nearly all ,but I think that it is a bad clue.

[dannyk13]

Can you get another clue between the 'N' and the 'y'?