Guardian 26,107

[maurice]

Not being an expert on R.B., can someone reveal to me his devil (or prey) at 14a? I have E?C?S M?? and believe they're all correct.
Then I am also truly puzzled by this last one:
15d Swap large numbers in protest from Lincolnshire town: no wind farm! no swallows! (3,2,5) I have ??L ?Y ?O?T?
The L. town may well be Louth.
And the first letter here is the last letter of 14a above!
Looking forward to a combined solution!

[roslyn251254]

14a EXCISE MAN
15d NIL BY MOUTH

[sedge47]

14a exciseman
15d nil by mouth

[maurice]

Many thanx: had just got the first myself of course on reflecting just once more!

[mallemaroking]

but how does nil by mouth work?

[bibblebub]

Louth is a town in Lincolnshire, a protester against something like a wind farm would be NIMBY Louth

The large numbers to be swapped are the M and L (Roman numerals)

[mallemaroking]

brilliant. many thx bibblebub, i would never have got there

[maurice]

I still have a question though: is the answer just a standard medical phrase I've not been able to find? The book & film of that name have nothing to do with the solution here? Baffled (and living abroad doesn't help either)!

[factor-fiction]

I've seen the notices over quite a few beds in hospital. It's the standard term used for patients and nurses

[maurice]

Thank you! Obviously another thing I've missed out on through living abroad for so long! Not that I necessarily longed to have an operation in Britain of course (it's quite enough on the Continent).

[bibblebub]

http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Nil+per+os