Ake -

Grovelling apologies — I always acknowledge such informative PMs, but have checked back & find to my horror I failed to do so with yours — I think the phone must have rung & distracted me or some such. Many thanks for it now, belatedly -

& for your above response to my point re contendedly Civil-Partnered acquaintance. I can't feel the acquaintance I cite [which I could have added to, but 3 seemed enuff to be going on with] are so exceptional to any general rule here as to be disqualified from 'general-term' recognition. But I take your point, & am now content to cease urging this particular point so pertinaciously {tho an additional response from GfS, to whom it was originally addressed but who seems to have gone awol of late, would not come amiss}. As to how far it may or may not be relevant to the general argument will be for followers of this thread [hopefully of the non-abusive variety, of whom I hope there are more than sometimes may appear] to determine for themselves.