No cross words

A regular reader says: “My wife was doing her daily crossword and, handing it over to me, said: ‘I’ve got it down to four clues. You can have a go. By the way, what’s the museum that’s normally closed during the winter?’

“’The Louvre,’ I replied, whereupon my wife took the crossword back and finished it. ‘Louvre’ (a kind of shutter as well as the name of the Paris museum) had broken the last four clues.

“I get this on a daily basis. My wife asks my help; sometimes I can help, sometimes not. If I do produce the solution, especially if it is instantaneous, like this example, my reply triggers a mixed reaction from my spouse. She usually says: ‘Oh, it must be nice to be so clever’, or some similar put-down, but at the same time she accepts my help and uses the solution to help her finish the crossword.

“I never tell her that I quite enjoy being handed unfinished crosswords and tackling the task of breaking the back of the last few clues. A few words of thanks would nevertheless be appreciated.

“Do other couples have similar exchanges? Otherwise, we do not often have a cross word!”