Re: From an old Telegraph book

Mark Gillan wrote:
> Robert Briggs wrote:
> > > > Robert Briggs writes:
> > > >
> > > > > What does the panel make of this one?
> > > > >
> > > > >     The Hispano-French girl?  (4)

> > Now I'll make my original question explicit: which solution, ELLE
> > or ELLA, is preferable, and why?

> I think that I would have put ELLE as the answer to this clue. I have no
> better reason other than the fact that in the majority of crosswords I have
> attempted, 'the French' has been LE.  LA has come up several times, but not
> as often as LE. So I'd just play it safe and go with LE - incorrectly, in
> this case.

I haven't noticed sufficient difference in the frequencies of LE, LA,
and LES to make a decision on such grounds.  (LES is excluded in this
context for other reasons.)

> Perhaps if this were a prize puzzle, both answers would be accepted?

The weekend's postings haven't made me think either is preferable,
unless, of course, a prize depends on it.