Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

From an old Times prize crossword:

What may be optic in bottle(5)

N - N - -

Should be easy but I can't figure it out!

looks like nerve to me.

optic nerve and dutch courage.

Thanks terry. I did think of bottle meaning nerve but I have a crossing letter that I felt certain of and that ruled out an R for nerve:

When emperor Nero, meaning to disregard me,fiddled (4,5)

For this I have ANNO NEGRI and that gives me the second N for the bottle clue. Maybe it's wrong, though.

Here is another way of coming at it:

Important in breaking into sealant, cap removed (7).

Possibly starts with E:

e - I - - - T

Is it EMINENT? (That would give me a final E for the bottle clue) I don't get the working of the clue re sealant.

eminent is right.

cement (sealent) without the C with in in it.

anno regni then perhaps

the other one is an anagram of me)aning nero = anno regni.

does that leave nerve OK.

Thank you terry and tonyw. Yes, that leaves nerve okay. I had the anagram of nero etc but I had the second word the wrong way round and that's why I couldn't get that corner finished. All done now and can put it to bed! Thank you so much.