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Happy New Year, Malone!
Thank you for that. I had no idea!
I hadn't got beyond litmus paper...........

Elle, happy 2017 to you too (and to everyone else on this thread, on this site).

I thought of you when I was doing today's crossword, when I filled in 20 Across...
General hitch dogs woman of the night (3,5).

I also thought of Rusty at 11 Across...
Playwright born an American Indian (7).

Yes, I was able to do 20a because of the similarity to the clue in the previous crossword!

I thought 11a was a good one - but I have a query........
Shaw is a masculine playwright ( I cannot think of any female one of the name "Shaw"? ) yet the female form of born is required - " nee" instead of "ne"?
Does it matter?
I guess one could consider the "born" part of the clue to be completely separate but I find it somewhat unsatisfying?

Sorry I cannot do the acute accent.

Hello, Elle!
You are cooking by gas today with your crossword!
Hope you got 20a!
And Malone has explained PH!
I think that was the way pubs were designated on the Ordnance Survey maps.
"Metonym" is a new word to me.
Yes, I saw the Jumbo.
(I do not do that one)

Happy New Year, Malone!
Yes, I saw that annoying 11 across one!
This happens regularly.
It was a good clue, though.

I think the setter is mistakenly using Nee as meaning simply Born, irrespective of gender, but I also think it's separate to the 'playwright' part. I don't think I've ever seen 'ne', born, when referring to a male - it doesn't actually look right.

I have only seen "nee", Malone.
I had it in my head it was French?

it is right, though, Malone.
and it's in Chambers!
I guess we don't see "ne" in the male form very often, because the term is usually used in relation to indicating a woman's maiden name.

Nee, female, is in Chambers and so is Ne, male, both from the French. The female version is for a 'maiden name', the male is 'the original name of a titled man'. I didn't know that until now!

Hi Elle, Rusty and Malone (and a happy New Year to you Malone!)

The only time ne (with accent!) is used is when saying, for instance

IL EST NE LE .......
(he was born on the .......)


but as Elle has said, it will never be used as a reference to a maiden name for obvious reasons!

PS I did not know that Malone - I obviously do not know any titled men! (Do we have many in France?)