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Hi, Rusty!
Oh dear......
I am sorry to be responsible for your heart sinking, Rusty!
I just thought it was a good clue, and you might enjoy solving it, as you are getting so good at these cockneyisms.
Chambers corroborates that an ampersand is a character!
Our granddaughter is full of enthusiasm for her forthcoming holiday with her dad.
Our son is taking her to the New Forest for half term!
They will both enjoy (and benefit from) some quality time away together.
That is a good thing, isn't it?
Miss ATW will be glad to have such a good and helpful uncle!
I think I need a coffee...and then I shall catch up with "Eggheads".......

Good morning, Elle.
Rainy morning here!
No, I find the constant use of Cockneyisms irksome in a national newspaper.
I hope I do not end up watching "Eastenders" to try and catch on to the speech nuances!
I looked up "ampersand" in Chambers, but I did not understand it.
So...I took myself off to YouTube and found a video about it.
The video was by Mary Norris, the "Comma Queen", of the American publication, the New Yorker.
She explained it very well!
Now I know quite a bit more about it and where the word came from.
She has a series of videos which I may have a wee look at, when I finish fixing my bike.
Now, off to collect my paper!

Good morning, Rusty!
It is dull but fine, here.
Milder than of late.
Speaking of Mary Norris reminds me of the puzzle children are given, to put in commas......
Do you remember this?
"Please miss my mother miss told me miss to tell you miss that I miss must miss miss school tomorrow miss."
It is necessary to put in the commas to make sense of the sentence.
Not quite following in Mary Norris' footsteps.......but I once did a proof reading course ...and I enjoyed it very much.
It was fun to learn......and great fun doing all the tests etc....but I didn't like the reality once I was qualified!
It was astounding how many grammatical "mistakes" one was supposed to let go by....
The argument was that correcting said mistakes would involve too many alterations for the author!
So, by and large, many mistakes were allowed to stand.......
Commas especially were not encouraged!
What is wrong with your bike?

Hello, Elle!
There is a squeak from the bottom bracket that lubrication has not fixed, so....going to investigate the ball race.
My bike is ancient.
It is a racing bike made by Rattray's of Glasgow, around 60 years ago. (Called "The Flying Scot")
I got it from a lad who had been called up to do his National Service, and did not think he would need it.
I know almost nothing about grammar!
I put in commas etc. where I think they should go!
I had no grammar training!
Just hope the sentence is understandable when I write it.
Mary Norris explains things well, I think.
Now, your phrase "by and large"?
Where does that come from?
Maybe a sea-faring expression, d'you think?

chrise I think you did tell us about you dentist/pupil. Very remiss of her to go to Sheffield!
I thought my new dentist was lovely but got quite a shock. I think my previous dentist (for over 30 years!) must have recently been doing what I have seen called "supervised neglect". As a Denplan patient you pay monthly whatever, so it is up to the dentist to do what work he/she sees fit. Ah well.

Hi, Rusty!
I use "by and large" as meaning "mostly, mainly; on the whole; everything considered"?
Yes, according to Brewers, it is a nautical phrase, meaning "to sail close to the wind and slightly off it, so making it easier for the helmsman to steer, and less likely for the vessel to be taken aback." (quote)
I had to look this up!
I'm not in a crossword frame of mind so far today.......
I do have some letters I ought to write.......
What has happened about Miss L-B's car?
Does she have it back in action, now?

Hello, Elle!
I suspected it may be a nautical phrase!
Well done for finding out about it!
No crosswords today?
I think the setter is trying to keep in with me in 6a, as a change from Cockney questions!
Only joking!
Yes, Miss La Bamba's motor is a mystery today.
It is parked outside her house, yet she is at work.
It was fixed yesterday.
If there is no crossword for you today, there is tennis on Eurosport.
Women's quarter-finals from Linz.

Hi, Rusty!
I took a look at 6a....... "Angus"!
I am not in a mood to settle to anything today.
I have a very bad headache.....
I have even been driven to taking a couple of Paracetamol tablets, and you know how I hate taking any form of medication!
Normally, I would jump at the chance to watch some tennis....but not right now.......
I feel a strong dose of self -pity coming on........!
I might go out and do some gardening...perhaps more fresh air might help.....

Update, Rusty!
Yes, fresh air and a bit of exercise work wonders!
I cannot believe how miserable and sorry for myself I sounded earlier!!!
I have done a little of my crossword.........
Now I do believe that I have actually found a clue that is this elusive "&lit" that I can never fathom?
15a: A winsome, inconsistent Romeo?(9)
An anagram of "a winsome" and "R" where the definition is the meaning of the entire clue?
Surely, surely..... I have grasped it this time?!

Hello, Elle!
Yes, that is the required answer.
I have told you before, I have not the faintest idea of what "&lit" means and knowing it is not required to solve the clue.
Just keep it simple and you'll be fine, is my advice.
15a is a straightforward clue, I would not go complicating it.