Alphabet associations - I

[mercia]

I'm tied up most of the day

don't let Caliban hear you say that, he's probably into that sort of thing

I'm sure I just read a post saying we should PM Anton

[mercia]

mercia has stepped into the breach!

oh has he! - give us half a mo'

[Anna]

oh has he! - give us half a mo'

mercia, as you asked for the archive I thought you had agreed to set one and you did get the Z after all (which had me totally baffled) It's been a strange few days with the bank holidays, people away, etc., and I don't think this situation has arisen before?

[mercia]

an L is on its way

[Nick Armstrong]

don't let Caliban hear you say that, he's probably into that sort of thing

Glad we were able to ROPE you in, mercia. Set us something nice and KNOTTY!! We're GAGGING for a question to answer, and are BOUND to love yours!!!!

etc etc etc

[mercia]

this won't detain you for long methinks

L

- make way for the gentleman's hairdresser
- "a shade there never was" (1738)
- a Roman square
- Ian Fleming meets The National Lottery?
- McCloud meets Temple in a hotel

[mercia]

probably should have said that only the first two of those five are musical

[Norfolk Born]

Glad we were able to ROPE you in, mercia. Set us something nice and KNOTTY!! We're GAGGING for a question to answer, and are BOUND to love yours!!!!

etc etc etc

I feel that, whatever the clues to the next question, the answer surely has to be Somerset Maugham's 'Of Human Bondage'.

[mercia]

L

- McCloud meets Temple in a hotel

......... off the coast of Florida

[Nick Armstrong]

this won't detain you for long methinks

L

- make way for the gentleman's hairdresser
- "a shade there never was" (1738)
- a Roman square
- Ian Fleming meets The National Lottery?
- McCloud meets Temple in a hotel

Clue two prompted me to think: Largo

Thinking further (not yet resorting to google), I got to this point:

- Something to do with Barber of Seville? Is Largo al Factotum from that? (not my field!)
- Handel's so-called Largo ('Ombra mai fu...')
- I remember some little squares in Rome called Largo This, That or The Other...
- There's a Bond villain called Largo. Can't recall which book, and I don't get the Lottery link. Casino Royale?
- Key Largo (thanks for the Florida clue) - but I don't get the (?Paul) Temple or McCloud connection - the only McCloud I can think of is Dennis Weaver as the detective on a horse in San Francisco that I used to love as a kid...

[Anna]

this won't detain you for long methinks

L

- make way for the gentleman's hairdresser
- "a shade there never was" (1738)
- a Roman square
- Ian Fleming meets The National Lottery?
- McCloud meets Temple in a hotel

Is no-one having a stab at this? My lunch date has been cancelled so I'll suggest:

Largo al Factotum (Barber of Seville)
Serse. Ombra ma fu
Largo di Torre Argentina
Thunderball - Emilio Largo
Key Largo (not sure about the last)

Edit: Oh Ratz!! Curse these pages for not refreshing!

[Nick Armstrong]

Is no-one having a stab at this? My lunch date has been cancelled so I'll suggest:

Largo al Factotum (Barber of Seville)
Serse. Ombra ma fu
Largo di Torre Argentina
Thunderball - Emilio Largo
Key Largo (not sure about the last)

Edit: Oh Ratz!! Curse these pages for not refreshing!

Oh Anna - we are so in sync!!!

I'm sure we're both right. You gave more detail than me (Thunderball You can tell i never do the lottery)... so I would say go ahead - save that I have a little "M" up my sleeve if we want to pick up the pace a little after the slow weekend.

[mercia]

(not yet resorting to google)

very impressive

Rossini Largo al Factotum Barber of Seville 'make way for the factotum of the city' is a loose translation I think
Handel's Largo
Bond villain you don't do the Lottery? Thunderball.
Temple and McCloud feature in the play and film Key Largo (Bogart, Bacall)
want to google the Roman square?

very well done

ah, Anna has the square - very good

[Anna]

Oh Anna - we are so in sync!!!

I'm sure we're both right. You gave more detail than me (Thunderball You can tell i never do the lottery)... so I would say go ahead - save that I have a little "M" up my sleeve if we want to pick up the pace a little after the slow weekend.

Two hearts beating as one Caliban!

No, you posted first and it's a long time since we have had one of your baffling ones so (assuming we have got it right) then you go ahead Ducky with an M!!

[amateur51]

the only McCloud I can think of is Dennis Weaver as the detective on a horse in San Francisco that I used to love as a kid...

You just have to get it in, innit