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Hi, Rusty!
I am glad you have had a good day.
And that you enjoyed the cycling,
I do not know of Julian Alaphilippe?
But it good to hear that Pete Sagan did so well, considering he had been ill.
Thank you for sending me those Latin clues.......I really enjoyed that!
I may indulge in a Saturday paper and give the puzzle a whirl!
I have not done as well with today's "English" Cryptic.....
I have completed the grid...and I think all the answers are correct.
But I am struggling with eight parses?
Did you parse all your clues satisfactorily?

Hello, Elle!
Alaphilippe is on fire.
Think that's 7 wins this year, so far.
He was very emotional at the end.
It was his first win in a "monument".

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/unbeatable-julian-alaphilippe-sprints-victory-milan-san-remo-2019-411505

Good idea to try the Saturday Times, Elle.
There are loads of puzzles in it.
I just do the main cryptic, and try the quiz.
I give the puzzle pages, including the Jumbo, to my neighbour.
She is a nurse, and takes the puzzles to work.
I think I have most of the parses, Elle.
I did the puzzle this morning and have not disposed of it yet.

Hi, Rusty!
Thank you for the clip.
Now I know who you are talking about!
I am now down to five remaining parses.....the other three just came to me!
Okay, if you are sure you are up for it, here goes......
I have answers and definitions for all the following......it is just bits here and there that I cannot get?
13a: abnormal = extraordinary (def)
23a: comma = which gives us pause (def)
25a: patriarch = family head (def)
1d: Pusillanimous = undetermined (def)
all is up (reversed) - everything's doomed
7d: trisect = cut into thirds (def)
Thank you!

Hello, Elle!
13, the gentle person is a "lamb", "a" in clue, not is "nor"
Think retiring means reverse.
23a, This is a puzzle. Order is "comma(nd)" but I am unsure of November which?
1d, I thought was a great clue!
Finland is "Suomi", "n" for note, "all is up" for everthing's doomed.
All reversed for "pusillanimous".
7d a camp could be a "sect", spruce could be "tri(m)"
25. Dry up is "parch", crime syndicate saving the last is "tria(d)" inside "parch".
I am going to think some more about 23a!
I like to get all the parses sorted!

Update, Elle.
If we say "order" is "command".
In the NATO lingo November is "N".
So clue says stopped short of November.
Giving "comma (Nd)". How's that?
Does it make sense?

Hi, Rusty!
Ah, thank you for the explanations.
I did not know that "Suomi" is the Finnish for Finland.
I struggled for ages to discover what to add to "All's up" to make "pusillanimous"!
Yes, I now understand all except 23a?
Re "comma"......I had wondered about removing the N (November)from "command" but still couldn't account for the "d"?
I think I'm being a tad dense here?
No...... no wait......I've got it!
Yes, I see...... it's stopping short ie BEFORE November...so both the "n" and the "d" are eliminated?
That is what you mean, isn't it?
Yes, well done, I am sure you are right!
Nearly time now for "The Voice"......

Hello, Elle!
Yes, that's what I mean.
Stopping short of November means it does not get as far as "nd".
So "comma|nd" becomes "comma".
I think it's OK?
I wondered for a wee while if it was anything to do with butterflies, as a comma is a kind of butterfly!
I liked the Suomi/Finland clue.
Well done, setter!
Hope "The Voice" is good!

Hi, Rusty!
Thank you so much for your patience, Rusty.
Now I can put the crossword to bed!
Yes, I am enjoying "The Voice"...
This is the last week of the "Knockout" rounds....
Next week will be the "live" Semi -Finals!
I think tonight, we, the audience, are to have a vote - this is an innovation in the programme.
We get to "resurrect" one of the acts already knocked out.........
I wonder, shall I ring in and vote?

Hello, Elle!
Of course you should vote!
I remember voting on BGT.
I voted for Diversity, Ashleigh and Pudsey, Stavros Flatley, and Cor Glanaethwy, and possibly more that have slipped my mind.
Think I voted for Henry Gallagher, and Innova, too.
Get voting!

Hi, Rusty!
Well, actually, I do not appear able to vote!
Normally, on the "live" shows , we are given telephone numbers to ring to vote for our "favourite", but tonight, the only method offered to "resurrect" a knocked-out performer, was to download an app from the programme?
I am lost here....I have idea what they are talking about ?
Nor do I have a suitable appliance on which to download it, anyway?
I am feeling quite cross!