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themadwomanintheattic

7th February 2026, 19:18
What an absolute stinker this was!

Please can anyone help with 23d?

Man in field almost cutting from side to side (5,5)

I have E - T - A / - O - E -

It looks like EXTRA COVER (man in [cricket] field), but how does it parse?
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jwf

7th February 2026, 19:22
Almost cutting, extrac is almost “extract.”
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themadwomanintheattic

7th February 2026, 19:52
Thanks. Another ****** deletion! But please can you explain the OVER part?
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malone

7th February 2026, 20:38
Chambers can explain it - a definition, 'over' from side to side'.
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strangelybrown

8th February 2026, 11:33
Thanks for saying exactly what I was thinking, MadWoman, this is the sort of crossword that makes me hate crosswords. I also couldn't get 23d (Mrs Strangely says cricket answers are the reason she doesn't do crosswords and she has a point - how many people know what extra cover is?).

37a Great Lakes' fish company stores can be found west of Chicago (5)
C?S?O.

43a Piece coming through from an overanxious Russian oligarch (7)
Looks like Romanov.
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bobdown

8th February 2026, 11:54
43a fROM AN OVeranxious
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bobdown

8th February 2026, 11:59
37a CISCO - a fish found in Great Lakes and a place in Utah west of Chicago but other wise I'm baffled
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strangelybrown

8th February 2026, 12:21
Thanks bobdown.

47d Period certainly finishing fine and free (6)
?R?D?Y
Friday?

24a Old man breaking lock and turning over residence (10)
Trespasser? Pa (old man) in tress (breaking lock), but after that I don't know what's happening, or how the definition works.
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anthonystmichel

8th February 2026, 12:31
I think (but could be wrong!) 37a is parsed like this

Def Great lakes fish

Company CO

stores ie contains

can be found IS
west of Chicago C
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anthonystmichel

8th February 2026, 12:35
47d
Ay certainly
F fine
Rid free
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