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malone

Nice to see chanteuse and huckster in the TImes today. Grunger will have approved.

Jigjag, thanks. I didn't even look at today's puzzle, but it was nice to hear of the return of some old friends. I wasn't quite so pleased to bump into this old one yesterday, from the Sunday Telegraph...

Stage imperfection in audition? (5)

The ? isn't enough to redeem it!

Malone

I cant solve your clue, possibly because it is not a good one. Sorry.

Grunger

If you are looking in, the Times crossword this week has lots of jobs you have done. Chanteuse, huckster, cox, bagpiper and potholer. Is there something in this?

Jigjag, I expect your brain doesn't actually want to solve that clue! It's the dreaded (by me) Floor, stage, Flaw, imperfection nonsense.

The subjunctive mood is still necessary at times, I think. Consider this which I read today: Churchill insisted that the BBC echoed the British Gazette.

I don't think that gives the intended meaning. It implies that someone stated that the BBC did not echo the British Gazette and Churchill disagreed.

It should really say: Churchill insisted that the BBC echo the British Gazette. That means Churchill wanted the BBC to be like the British Gazette.

Malone

I didnt even think of that, or if I did, my brain dismissed it instantly. I also pronounce the words completely differently, though probably not as you do.

Orson

I agree with you.

I've had a rest from complaining, but I might be allowed this moan....

From today's Sunday Telegraph Cryptic ( a prize puzzle, so no answers please) -

24. Bellow unrefined, by the sound of it? (4)

I can't remember which PU member it is who'll like -or dislike - this other clue, again from a prize puzzle.

4 D. Volunteer assassin? (5).

Malone,
I recall last year I was collating a list of ‘agent nouns’ (flower, banker and the like) and the answer to 4d was suggested to me by someone on the old PU thread. I can’t remember who it was. Incidentally, I have a pretty good list at this point ;-)

Thanks, Jono. Yes, it was you I was thinking of - I vaguely remembered there being a collector. I'm glad to hear your list has grown.

A man in a letter to the Times yesterday complained about a koala being incorrectly called a bear.

That is an error, fair enough, but we live with such words as titmouse, slowworm and Bombay duck. The writer said it had upset him. It's not worth getting upset about.