Yesterday I shared the seven clues which had defeated me in the crossword. Here they are again:
- a name for the plant valerian (7)
- canoe’s buoyancy chamber; or a subsidiary wing to stabilise a seaplane (7)
- collective noun for ladybirds (10)
- any one of the race of tiny people in Terry Pratchett’s Bromeliad Trilogy, an Alaskan gold-mining city, or each of the 42 territorial divisions in Ancient Egypt (4)
- Margaret of ______ , wife of Henry VI (5)
- protagonist in a book by Roald Dahl based on a marvellous medicine
- General name for an astronomical body such as Proxima Centauri (5,4)
…and here are the answers:
- allheal
- sponson
- loveliness
- Nome
- Anjou
- George
- black star
I thought I was quite knowledgeable about herbs, but allheal? I know valerian – I first came across it as the name of one of the characters in Richard Adams’ Watership Down’; it’s a perennial summer plant native to many European countries and also in Asia It can be up to five foot tall and has perfumed pink or white flowers. Flying creatures love it! Herbalists use it for sleeping difficulties and anxiety… I tend not to have either so have never tried it!
Although I spent several years in a canoe when I was young (I didn’t live, eat or sleep in it, obviously – just went out almost every day with my friend!!) I have never heard of a sponson, nor have I heard of a loveliness of ladybirds, but what else would ladybirds be? Nome… no, never heard of it in any of its meanings… I should have known Margaret of Anjou, and in fact did even think of it but because i got other answers wrong I didn’t get it right.
Much as I enjoy Dahl’s adult stories, I’m afraid I have never engaged in his children’s books; even so, I should have remembered George’s Marvellous Medicine. Black star… doh! I knew that!!
Lois Elsden 