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Jigjag/EPICURE

The Everton Library sounds lovely...but it's unlikely that I'll ever see it. I've never been to Liverpool - I have nothing against the city, I've just never had a reason to go there.

I would ban refrigerated eggs, the subject of many arguments with friends, my mother, my sister, my daughter … over the years.

I really hope the market cafe does have a fridge, I wouldn't fancy warm milk or butter that hasn't been refrigerated overnight.

Grunger

You've chosen the one day I haven't done the Times puzzle to discuss a clue. I think your version of that clue sounds fine, but I have to say that split infinitives don't bother me unduly. (In some areas, I've mellowed over the years.)

Thanks Malone

I dont mind them if it makes the clue work, but here the split meant it didn't.

"Be endlessly agitated" was suppose to lead to "seeth(e)", but it does not.

Liverpool is a lovely city for tourists - great architecture, Beatles etc - notice I have not mentioned football.

I haven't been to Norwich or Bradford, or any Scottish cities except Glasgow

Never looked at this thread before, and after visiting it for the first
time, already I find something with which I do not agree!

Since when is 'agitated' an infinitive? It is merely an adjective!

A split infinitive would occur were there a word between TO and BE,
but since the sentence starts with BE, it does not apply!

Would you say the sentence 'I like to be ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED before I voice my opinion' comprises a split infinitive?

I would not - but there again I am only French, sorry!

I am on here as it's raining !
I agree with Pigale. The clue works fine too

Pigale, Cerasus

I disagree. Be agitated = seethe. To drop the e, we need, "Be agitated endlessly".

As it is written, "endlessly" splits "be" and "agitated". Which of these 2 words is to be cut? It does not make sense.

I will write to the Editor, and let you know if I get an apology.

Pigale - Oui.

Sorry Grunger but this does not change the fact that 'agitated' is NOT a verb, therefore cannot be an infinitive.

It's all a question of where one puts the adverb: before or after the
adjective it qualifies.

Whether the clue works or not was not the point I was questioning.

Pigale

The point is that "to be agitated" = "to seethe" is a verb.

Also, the compiler split it when he did not need to.

The mantra of not splitting infinitives is nonsense anyway. It derives from "schoolmen" in the 18th and 19th centuries, who based the idea on Latin, in which, as the infinitive is one word, it's not possible to split it.
There's simply no reason to follow this doctrine in English.

@Chris The "rule" of not ending a sentence with a preposition is also outdated and has become a 'myth' . Winston Churchill's famous comment : "This is the type of errant pedantry up with which I will not put."comes to mind.
It is OK to say (especially in chat or conversation) "What are you up to ?
or "Is this the file you are referring to ? It feels natural and is acceptable to write that way (unless one is writing a legal document !!)

I know that many grammar rules that used to be widely followed in
the past no longer seem so important nowadays. BUT this
was NOT the point I was making! I was only pointing out that
the word 'agitated' is not a verb as such,

In fact (to) be 'endlessly agitated' is what is called an 'adjectival phrase' in which the adjective 'agitated' (which answers to the
question 'to be what?') is qualified by the adverb 'endlessly'.

One of its synonyms happens to be a verb, just as 'to begrudge'
is the verbal synonym of the phrase 'to be GREEN WITH ENVY', in
which 'green with envy' also answers the question 'to be what?'