Thanks again, Rusty. I know German and STUCK came immediately to mind and of course made sense, but I questioned it because it seemed to be causing problems. I knew that ELOGES meant encomia, but I had no idea about the Socialist candidate. Now I do! By the way, have you ever tried the Atlantic Monthly crossword? Pure genius; the pattern is always completely different. Several years ago there was one that featured unclued genetic terms that formed a double helix through the grid. The makers just retired, but the puzzles are archived at www.theatlantic.com. How I miss them! Now I have to look to the UK.