Times Jumbo 1160 Cryptic

[bigdave1954]

Last couple. 6d A miser: learns to reform, releasing Eppie finally (5,6)
S?L??/?A?N?R

17a Opera article from Paris is kept in proportion (2,5) T?/???A?E

TIA

[dannyk13]

Silas Marner
To scale

[Lie-in King]

6d Silas Marner - anag 'a miser l(e)arns' - no '(Eppi)e' (finally)
17a To scale - 'Tosca' + 'le' (Fr. "the"; article)

[dannyk13]

6d.Anagram of a miser learns
17a.To sca (opera) + le (French article)

[bigdave1954]

Thanks so much both of you

[stevenj]

In fact i managed to solve this one without any help. Sorry that sounds really boastful but what i am really trying to do is to say thank you to the great people who every week (every day?) help people like me who "think" they know an answer but who need help. Of course , my hero Lie-i King but so many others too. I personally am so grateful to them in helping me to "understand" how crosswords work and therefore to get fantastic enjoyment from this great word game.
One other thing. i am thinking of actually sending a completed crossword (this one) in to the paper but is it worth bothering? i don't do it for that reason but it might be a way of showing SWMBO that it is not a total waste of my time! How many people enter each week? If it's thousands, i don't think i'll bother!!! but if it has a low entry rate maybe i'll have a go.
steven

[scorpiojo]

That's very kind of you, Steven and much appreciated. Send it in and good luck :)

[scorpiojo]

..I read somewhere that the Sunday cryptic has about 3000 entries per week, but I have been lucky enough to win the runner up prize, as have two others that I know of & also one first prize winner on AB.

[Mamyalynne]

You are so right Steven ,it's not just the place for answers but learning how they work.

[Lie-in King]

Kind words indeed Steven & well done on finishing this one. It strikes me that's a perfect reason to send it in - to paraphrase another institution, "you can't win it if you're not in it"!

I stopped sending in the Jumbo after I was lucky enough to win it a few years back & while I confess to a certain frisson of excitement at seeing my name in print as the winner, I agree that the greater fun is to be had from solving the puzzle.

I hope your enjoyment of this wonderful art form never wanes & wish you luck when you send 1160 (& 1161, 62, 63...) in - go on, it's a stamp & an envelope! :-))

[Angelheart24]

I just want to agree with Steven's post! I always have to ask for assistance from this forum and I am never disappointed! Thank you to all who have helped me complete the crossword.... may you long continue to do so... I like the explanations of how the answer is arrived at!
( no doubt I shall be back requiring help for no 1160!!!)

[Mrsspagnoli57]

6d. As well as being an anagram the clue section '...releasing Eppie finally.' directly refers to the novel Silas Marner. Eppie being the little girl he looks after, finally 'releasing' her at the end of the book. It was 'Eppie' that got me the answer before working back and finding the anagram. (Doesn't happen very often for me !)