Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Hello, Elle!
Yes, fine seeing my son.
They are staying at a hotel in Belfast.
It's a new one to me.
No family or friends, they just want to see Belfast.
I've given them several suggestions for when they are there.
Maybe your plumber will come tomorrow.
I thought it a fine puzzle today, though I have yet to convince myself I have the correct parse for 11d!

Good evening, Rusty!
I hope your son and his wife have a good time when they visit Belfast, at the weekend.
My daughter and family are going to Ireland at the beginning of October for a wedding, but that is down in Waterford, where some of my son-in-law's family live,
I have told her about The Wild, Atlantic Way..... and they hope to return another time to travel along the trail!
Now 11d: Take care of male relative as an afterthought, perhaps?
I parsed this as follows:
parenthesis = as an afterthought, perhaps (def)
parent (as a verb) - take care of
he - male
sis - relative
Is this what you thought?
The two I cannot do are ......
1d: Carry vessel upside down (3)
B??
9a: Position of diamonds in one item of clothing and another (9)
??O?T?T?P
I am completely stuck on these, if you can help me with them, please?

Hello, Elle!
My son and daughter-in-law are busy making plans for their trip.
Your parse for parenthesis is the same as mine.
I did not know the afterthought meaning, though, but I found it in Collins.
Now, 1d is sub/vessel reversed, "bus"/carry.
9, Diamonds is a reference to a baseball pitch, and the answer is a position on the field, "shortstop".
Two items of clothing "shorts" and "top".
A good puzzle today!

Hi, Rusty!
I am still not understanding1d?
I can see "sub"(vessel) reversed, becomes "bus"......
But how can "bus " mean "carry"?
I have never heard this.....
Thank you for explaining the other clue , 9a.....
New term for me, I would never have got that!
Now, update!
Just after I'd previously posted to you, the plumber phoned!
He is coming round on Friday......I am unsure what he plans to do.......
But we shall leave it in his hands!
The rain has finally stopped!

Hi elle
"To bus" became a rather notorious verb in the USA in the 1960s, when children were taken to schools outside the area where they lived in an attempt to promote racial intergration. Hence "bus" can mean " carry".

(At least, I think that's the explanation!)

Hello, Elle!
"Bus" can be a verb, too. (Have a look in Collins)
Example (the children were bussed to school)
it's a sound clue, for me.
You would need a little bit of baseball knowledge for the other one.
Well, at least you are up to speed with the plumber!

Hi, Rusty!
I had looked in my Collins...and my Thesaurus ….. and Bradfords…..
I didn't see any reference to "bus" as a verb?
But then again, perhaps I didn't look carefully enough.
That is entirely possible.....
And sometimes a thing can be right under one's nose and one doesn't see it!
I think I need a strong coffee!




Thanks Chris!
I supposedly looked to see if "bus" could be a verb,,,,,,

Hello, Elle!
"Bus" is in my Chambers, and my Collins.
"To travel or transport by bus".
It can be a verb.
I think you need a strong coffee, too!

Hi, Rusty!
Oh dear! Perhaps I need something stronger than coffee!

Good morning, Elle!
Dull, dreich, and rainy here!
Not as heavy as yesterday's rain, if we look on the bright side!
I'm just home from the shop, fetching my paper.
I meant to say yesterday, that one of the Lowes chicks was seen fishing in a lake in England a day or two ago.
I've forgotten which lake, though!