Ejecta

Outrageous! I said to Pliny the Elder this morning, when I learned the answer to 10 across, in yesterday's hard crossword.

What is outrageous? he inquired. Is that the answer to the clue?

No, it's not the answer to the clue, I said. The clue was 'Material discharged by volcanic eruption ( Geol.)' Six letters with the third letter being E and the last letter A.

Ejecta! said Pliny matter of factly. You should have asked me.

But that's a Latin word which just means things which are ejected. And it isn't in my English dictionary, or the Science one. It's as if the answer to 'the square root of eighty one' should be 'a number'. Or no, not even a number, but the Latin for a number. Numerus.

I reject that comparison, said Pliny. After all many ordinary Latin words are used as technical terms in the natural sciences. Surely there were other helpful clues by which you could have deduced the answer?

There was 2 down, 'Upwards from the point of attachment ( of growth ) ( Botany)', I growled. If I'd known that was 'acropetally' I would have got the C, but who has ever heard of it?

Well, he said sagely, you must blame the Greeks for that. Now I know it's very hot, but I think you need to get out of the house.

So, I went to the beach this afternoon with Nostradamus. It was hot and windy. Men were kiteboarding.The waves were warm and leathery green, glistening, cross-hatched, and surprisingly strong. I stood in the swirling slapping wash while Nostradamus had a swim and nearly lost his hat. Then I sat on a towel and stared at the seaweed, the sand, the shells, the washed up bits and pieces, the gulls. We are all ejecta, I thought. But at least the kiteboarders are kiteboarding acropetally. These thoughts uplifted me. Hang the hard crossword, I have come out on top.