Guardian no 25,724

[sierrawhisky]

Could somebody give me a bit of help? I'm assuming 46a is '3 little boy held by soldier' must be NEEDY, but why? (I know 3d is POOR).

And I'm stuck on 23d 'Micro-king's mollusc fished up by 17 (with porridge to follow)' (where 17 is Browning) = M?R?X

And while I'm here, I'm assuming 48a 'It's poisonous in French, too much so in English' must be TROPINE but I can't find that in Chambers. Aren't all solutions supposed to be in Chambers?

Thanks,

[bibblebub]

46a) little boy = Ed., soldier = Ney http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Ney

[HowardKennitby]

murex fits, not quite sure why

[HowardKennitby]

tropine [ˈtrəʊpiːn -pɪn]
n
(Chemistry / Elements & Compounds) a white crystalline poisonous hygroscopic alkaloid obtained by heating atropine or hyoscyamine with barium hydroxide. Formula: C8H15NO
[shortened from atropine]

[1angler1]

First one is "Ed" in "Ney", as in General Ney, I think.

I am stuck same as you with M*R*X


Tropine is a poisonous alkaloid - but not in my Chambers

[Baldric]

23d, MUREX

[kayakamina]

MU (micro) REX (king) = MUREX - mollusc

[Psybbo]

The Venus comb murex, scientific name Murex pecten, is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock ...

[Lie-in King]

Also the last verse here -

http://classiclit.abo...bl-rbrown-popular.htm

[1angler1]

Murex is it. Browning's "Popularity" - "Who fished the murex up? What porridge had John Keats?". Murex is a mollusc, and presumably Mu- rex means micro king

[stromselkie]

Can you explain how you got "poor" for 3d Standard accompaniment to the Golden River. I get Po and or but why accompaniment?

[sandyRoe]

There's Standard & Poor, a credit rating company

[stromselkie]

Ignore previous comment. Just seen explanation on another string.
Ta