"Number" is an old crossword chestnut, like "flower" - which isn't to say that it doesn't get me every time...

Yes, one gets wise to these tricks. This one fooled me for the longest time- even though I'd come across it before.

Great response! The New York Times crosswords are full of definitions like that -- also some rather strange gimmicks which, once you figure out the first one, the rest all fall into place. Sometimes, as in this case, the clue is in the pronunciation of one of the words -- "num-mer" as opposed to "num-ber", and alternative definitions of the rest of the words. It all makes for much more challenging, therefore interesting, crosswords.

I mainly do the Daily Telegraph crosswords.

My mother does them too- at meal times. When we go down to visit she makes photocopies of the current puzzle so we can all join in.

I subscribe to the New York Times crosswords on line. I can do them on the computer, and the next day they give the solution code. When I type in the code it tells me if I am right, or where I went wrong. If I still have blanks, it helps me fill them in by x-ing out wrong letters until I get it right. I have gotten to a point where I can do almost all of the puzzles now before the code comes out, except for the once a month Sunday extra, which is a cryptic. They also have a once a month Sunday extra that is an anacrostic - I really like these.

I used to do them online- but you had to pay- and recently it has seemed cheapier and handier to buy the paperback anthologies- which can be slipped in a pocket and brought out as necessary.

Oh dear....I don't understand it. Can someone explain?

OK. The theatre is an operating theatre- and a number is someone who makes you go numb. With cryptic crosswords you have to think laterally- and be on the lookout for puns and misdirection.

Thanks! Now it's obvious.