Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Thanks, Malone. As I said, I was prepared to be embarrassed. I often miss those.

This is how I saw it:

21ac: can(n)el - bituminous coal
23ac: being = es(s)ence rest of clue = (pr)esence
27dn: pour tea = be ma (in the UK we'd normally say something like "who'll be mother")

Thanks, peterm. All clear. Would NEVER have gotten the tea thing. Knew cannel, just stupidly missed canel lurking there (good clue).

Peterm, thanks for the explanations. I would never have seen 'be ma'/be mother in a million years!

For 29a I have omat? but I can't work out a satisfactory answer. Om(m)ata isn't in my Chambers - only ommatea. I also don't understand why 'state' would be Omaha.

poor clue - the answer must be omata

Pensionerpat - I've no longer got the paper, but wasn't there some sentence about a couple of answers NOT being in Chambers? ( I think there was something about 'one can be worked out using etymological principles', or something similar.)
I've seen discussions about the inaccuracy of Omaha, but it was needed for the answer.

Thanks Malone. You're right - the note at foot of crossword says Chambers does not give one Greek plural "deducible from an etymology". Altogether a rather unsatisfactory clue and solution!