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Hello, Elle!
A fine day for the cinema!
Still nice here.
16, to lean, is to "tip", to man is to "staff".
Tipstaff. An officer of court.
Is it new to you.
I thought it was fairly straightforward?

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, "tipstaff" is completely new to me!
I have never come across the word before.
Thank you for explaining it to me.
I had trouble understanding one other answer, too.
I had forgotten about that.......
15a:Several loons? (6)
According to Anne B, the answer is "divers"....
Now I know that "several" means "divers", but do not understand why "loons" means that, too??
Maybe the heat is getting to me...?
It's probably addling my brain!

Hi elle
"Loon" is the North American name for the birds that we call "divers" (as in "Great Northern Diver")

Hello, Elle!
It is warm!
I am just in.
I am surprised you have not heard of tipstaff.
15a is a good clue.
A loon is a North American bird, often called divers.
They are beautiful birds known for their lovely call.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2PVTZwap-Q

I am a wee bit surprised you do not know them.
Were they not in "Chesapeake", or is my memory letting me down?

Hi, Rusty!
Have you been out for a walk?
It's really dark here by now.
I thought that a loon was a simple -minded person or maybe someone who is somewhat eccentric.
I did not know that it is also a bird.
And a very attractively marked bird at that, judging from the photograph that you sent.
I liked the sound of the bird calling.
I am not very well up in varieties of birds!
I cannot recall any loons in Chesapeake....had I done so, I would have known the answer.....
But there is such a lot of detail in Mr M's books.....I could well have forgotten.
Your memory is undoubtedly better than mine!




Hello, Chris!
Thank you....I ought to have checked the meaning of "loon" in Chambers, shouldn't I?
I knew it meant something similar to an idiot..... and didn't think of its perhaps having another meaning.

Hello, Elle!
No, I was out helping La Bamba, in a wee job she had to do for the FoodBank.
Then she wanted me to send her lots of photos I have in my 'phone.
So, busy, busy! Granddaughters !!!
Up in Aberdeen "loons" are young men or boys.
Girls are "quines"! Did you know?
It could well be another book I read that had a bit about the loons.
Maybe "Alaska", or one of Bill Bryson's.

Hi, Rusty!
Is the Foodbank a local charity?
How does it work?
Do folk donate food and then it be distributed to the poor or needy?
It is good that your granddaughter gives up her time to help out.
No, I didn't know that a "loon" is a young (Scottish) man?
I only knew it as a derisory term, meaning someone slightly stupid.
Nor have I heard of girls being called "quines"....is that a form of "queens"?
Otherwise, where does it come from?
I haven't been able to find it in my Chambers?

Elle, I know your Chambers isn't the best - in mine (revised 13th ed.) 'quine' is listed but just to say 'see 'quean'. Under 'quean' there's mention of 'in NE Scotland 'quine' is the ordinary word for a girl'.

Morning from the Dawn Spam Patrol...

Good morning, Malone!
Yes, the spammers are out in force today!