I don't understand this crossword clue/answer!

Factual Questions
1

My wife bought me a New York Times Sunday Crossword book, and I’m loving it. I have yet to finish one fully, but I’m getting better. My grammar is certainly improving.

But I’ve run across one clue and answer combo that I can’t figure out.

The topic of the puzzle is Wild Wordplay. Clues are given in the form of a question to let you know that it conforms to the topic. For example, the answer to ‘batman?’ is ‘Count Dracula’ and the answer to ‘Clip joint?’ is ‘Barbershop’.

The one I don’t get is 58 Across: ‘HIJKLMNO?’ and the answer is ‘water’. I know it’s water because the down clues fill in that way, and another clue is ‘Pedro’s 58 Across’ and that answer is ‘agua’.

Any help?

2

“H to O”

3

That string of letters is H to O.

4

Could it have anything to do with the next letter in the series? P = pee = water?

5

Sure, you 2 couldn’t answer BEFORE I posted and made a fool of myself, couldn’t you?

6

Actually, we did :slight_smile:

7

:smack:

H2O. I even thought that phrase when I was writing the post!! “What letters were they again? Oh right, H to O.”

I knew I was overthinking it. I find myself having to delve into long forgotten recesses of memory to answer some of the clues, and they throw a deceptively easy one at me, and it sails on past.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go learn the Jewish months and dry measures.

8

And an Anglo-Saxon slave (or serf) is an esne. And to dry flax is to ret. And a salt tree is an atle. And a dye tree is a dhak.

QtM, who spent waaaay too much time with crossword puzzles during some dull med school lectures. And some quite late night ER shifts.

9

Actually, to soak flax is to ret.

And a sea eagle is an ern or an erne (depending on whether the lexicographer needed to fit a three-letter or four-letter word in).

10

:smack: I knew that !

I’ve been away from the NYT puzzle for too long!

11

And I thought I might be having a stroke until I found out there were architects Saarinen pere and fils.

12

But once you know that, it’s easy! Eero has 4 letters, and Eliel has 5.

13

Pedro, having a Spanish name, speaks Spanish. Pedro calls water ‘agua.’

There was a clue in a recent puzzle, some time last week, that was “Burgundy Brothers,” and the answer was “freres.” Same idea.

14

OK, here’s another question for anyone still watching this thread:

“Sacred: Comb. form”

What does comb. stand for? WARNING: Answer may not contain words “truth”, “justice” or “American way”.

15

Combined?

My first guess for the clue’s answer is “kicked scrotum,” but that’s probably wrong.

Daniel

16

“Combining”

17

Comb. I read that as “combination.” For example, “Bone, comb.” would be “osteo.” Offhand, I can’t think what “Sacred, comb.” would be, though.

18

Oh, yeah, Eero. He’s the donkey in Winnie the Pooh. :smiley:
RR

19

Well, if your theory’s sound, it’s probably sacro. Sacrosanct. Then again, Sacrilegious.

20

REL would be my guess.

Others along the lines of esne and ret:

HI Duck: Nene
Dies ____: Irae
Brit Gun: Sten
Copyedit: Stet