Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Update, Elle!
I have an answer for 21d.
I broke down the clue, and came up with a name I did not recognise.
I Googled the name and discovered it was the name of a village in Derbyshire, which had a school of the same name!
A bit obscure, methinks!

Hi, Rusty!
We are just home from the vets.......
The dog has been duly vaccinated..... and her anal glands expressed.
She also had a thorough check up.
All of which she tolerated in the expectation of being give a few liver treats if she offered her paw to the vet at the end!
She knows it always works!
The vet said that we are doing all the right things with regard to the thunder......keeping the dog calm, acting as if there were nothing out of place etc....
Her own dog exhibits similar symptoms but she does not give medication.
The trouble with thunderstorms is that there is no time for anything to take effect before the storm happens......
I guess fireworks would be a different matter......more easily anticipated .......but this is not a particular problem.
Dog largely ignores fireworks save for not wanting to go outside - which is fair enough!
Now the crossword.....there are a lot of clues that I cannot do..... 1a; 5a; 5d; 13a; and 16d.
I managed 26a though, after looking up "translation" in Bradfords....
I am at a loss though at to why it should mean "unseen"?
But I can see the parsing.......
s - s (tudent)
une - article
en - in
both in French
I think 21d is "Repton"?
I had ?E?T?N
RE and PT being the subjects and "on" meaning "acceptable".
I did not know it was a school, and had to Google that.
No, I did not enjoy today's puzzle!
It was just too difficult for me!

Hello, Elle!
I think many dogs are frightened by thunder.
I suppose vets can do little to help, other than offer good advice.
If you look up "unseen" in Chambers you will find "translation".
I have "Repton", too.
I had never heard of it, and there are hundreds of villages with schools named after them.
A couple of tips for the others.
1a, A three letter word for a horse, "fitter, needing a", being (a)bler", for a drink (which was new to me)
5a, The mountain is an "alp", with "a ca(t)".
5d, The queen is not ER, but Anne.
13a, "s" for "sons", work is "op", and anagram of "Malag(a)", lopped, for a tree.
16d, is the name of a FRench town. The river is the "Po".
Now, I hope these are a help, Elle!

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, thank you very much, your clues were very helpful!
I now have four out of five answers!
1a: cobbler; 5a: alpaca; 5d: anyone; 13a: sago palm
But 16d still defeats me?
PO?T?E?S
I am not happy with "unseen " meaning "translation"!
I cannot find it in my Chambers, but, as I said previously, Anne B has it...and I have since checked Collins online dictionary and that gives
"Unseen (noun): a passage, not previously seen, that is presented to students for translation"
I can accept that "unseen" can be a noun, and a "passage, not previously seen" but why "for translation" ????
The 'logic' here is beyond me!
Maybe I need a strong coffee......

Reston is snow English public school. I believe that Jeremy Clarkson and Roald Dahl are old boys.
Unseens were part of a language exam in which some unprepared and unseen text had to be translated without reference to a dictionary.

Sorry, predictive text. It should read Repton is an ......

There were a couple of Old Reptonians in my year at college - I still see one of them regularly. Not a particularly obscure English public school, but I agree that there are several rather more well-known ones.

Hello, Elle!
Well done on the ones you have solved!
16d, Banks can be tiers, one can be I, and you are looking for the name of a French city, which is well known for universities.
"Unseen" is in my Chambers, so it should be in yours, unless it is one of the "missing words", in your edition?
Kenyatta's description is pretty much what Chambers says.
Or try Googling it?
I can't help with it, Elle, as I have no experience of "unseen passages for translation".
I accept what Chambers says...I can do no other!
Yes, have a coffee and a sticky bun!

Hi, Rusty!
I have it, Rusty! Poitiers!
I should have seen that, shouldn't I?
(You may say "yes"!)
My daughter and family are going to The Netherlands tomorrow for ten days.
They are going to Wassenaar, which is in South Holland, on the western coast.
They are to stay in a caravan.
We are cat - visiting in their absence.......in that we go to check up on him; offer additional food to his dry food which is left out for him, change his water, and a clean out the cat -litter tray etc.. and offer cuddles and comfort!
Elder daughter and family also go away on Friday.... for a week in Northumberland...... after which they are coming to stay for a week with us .
I have coffee.......but no sticky buns!

Hello, Elle!
Yes! You should have seen Poitiers!
And remember, The Times say the Wednesday puzzle is the most difficult, so you have done well.
The week in Northumberland sounds good!
I do not know anything about Wassenaar, I'm afraid.
I always liked staying in a caravan.
Hearing the rain hammering on the roof!
I have no sticky buns, too, but I do have oatcakes!