Thank you. :]
I can think of plenty of phrases which would fit in, but none of them has a hyphen.
I wouldn't call it a phrase as such.
Thank you.
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This is a diversion and does not ask for hints or answers well, not yet anyway!!
I have done a bit of lateral thinking and come up with the thought of a number with a hyphen and a G in the middle of the second half – SEVENTY-EIGHT.
In the first word, the letters T and V appear and also SEEn!!!
And here, for those reading are a few, probably totally useless, thoughts:
14 across is:
Timid beast – roam around, nibbling a herb (9)
Well that is surely an anagram of BEAST and A HERb – nibbling the last B away?
Answer: HERBALIST
Letters in 14 across Aa - - - d – r – o
15 down is:
Spread grain indiscriminately for horse to eat (9)**
Letters are: - - R – A – I - -
The 'I' could be wrong but I don’t think so.
As you can see HERBALIST would fit here perfectly!
The last letter would be the first letter of the 5-letter part of hyphenated answer for ‘record number’ clue.
Do I detect a conspiracy here!! Has the Editor of the Puzzles section inadvertently swapped 14 across for 15 down?
Ah, wel, writing this will perhaps have given my subconscious a prod to get the right answers?
** I remember a similar clue came up a couple of months ago, but of course I’ve forgotten what the answer was.
