I start every day with crosswords, together with The Times anagram polygon on its puzzle page. Yesterday's was a nine-letter one, with a couple each of Ts & Hs & Os + two more letters. I stared & stared, & it just wouldn't work -- especially as I was a bit distracted by the discomfort caused by my only remaining lower left molar having worked a bit loose in the gum.

Suddenly, after leaving it & returning five or six times, the letters fell into place as I stared at them, as they always will if one persists long enough.

The word was 'toothache'

≈M≈