Cross Words

“Man chasing solution, endlessly in bind, shows spirit (5, 2, 6).” Times Crossword 27,831.

Tricky. While you ponder, give up, or rootle in the bin for the solution, may I digress? Over the decades I have got a bit better at solving crosswords. Now, unexpectedly, when I have even more time on my hands, the appeal is palling. I mean, what’s the point? Educational? Well, in the crossword, above, I found that a synonym for a ravine is “chine” and for an interpreter is “exegete”. Will I remember, do I care, no? It’s a complete waste of time when I could be reading a book, writing a book or telling Rishi Sunak how to balance his books.

The rather extraordinarily large UK budget deficit would make many a credit card holder weep were it their’s. Fortunately it can be put on “the long finger”, a useful Irish expression. Sometime it will have to be addressed but on the short finger it puts our Perry Mason lookalike, Leader of the Opposition, Sir Keir Starmer in a fix.

Raymond Burr as Perry Mason.

It’s traditional, believe me, for Labour to promise to spend the money squirrelled away by the Conservatives. Sir Keir will go to the electorate like Squirrel Nutkin going to Old Brown Owl. He will have no present for the country. He may prance and dance but like Old Mother Hubbard the cupboard is bare. It will be an interesting election debate. On balance, I hope Keir Starmer wins, although of course circumstances may change and it might be a Sunak v Starmer bout, in which case all bets are off. Either qualifies as “man chasing solution, endlessly in bind, shows spirit”. The answer is Crème de Menthe, or tarts’ toothpaste as my Commanding Officer said with acerbity in Belize when I had a glass or two there after dinner in 1973. I was so unsophisticated.

 

3 comments

  1. Hello I’m looking for information on lord John Bellew who was born 1702 and was married to Anne Maxwell in 1731
    I believe he has an illegitimate child with his niece Mary maxwell in 1747/48
    The child’s name was Daniel I am a descendant of him
    Who later in life changed his name to Daniel nithsdale maxwell
    His great grandfather was William maxwell 5 th Earl of nithsdale
    I have been trying to find a primary source of his birth
    But to no avail
    Do you have any information that could help me piece this together
    My e mail is xxxxxx
    Thanking you in anticipation

    1. As you know, John was the 4th and last Lord Bellew of the first Creation. His great-grandfather, another John, died of wounds sustained at the Battle of Aughrim. I am descended from that Lord Bellew’s (of 1st Creation) grandfather. I will write to you with some suggestions that might assist your research but as that line of our family never lived at Barmeath there is unlikely to be anything useful there. The Bellews had a great propensity for spawning illegitimate children. My grandfather said how appropriate it is that the first Bellew to come to Ireland, circa 1200, was Sir Roger.

  2. Thank you any information will be greatly received
    I believe that his mother was Frances Brudenll countess of Newburgh
    She was married 1st to Charles Livingston 2 nd Earl of Newburgh
    And 2 nd to Richard Bellew 3rd Barron of Dunlek
    I think John bellew died in Dublin and is buried at st audoens church

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