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1A: How much of the main substance is present? It's madness to include lithium (8)
S?L?N?T?
Could this be 'salinity'?
Thoughts.... main =sea (saline?)
Lithium =Li
Madness = insanity
Can't get this to hang together?
Am I on the wrong track?
Help needed please!!!!

Hi elle
Very contentious on fifteensquared. The answer is "SALINITY", but there is much difference of opinion on whether the clue actually works. The consensus is that there is a missing "not".

Hi, Chris!
Do you mean "...... It's NOT madness to include lithium?"
Thus 'sa li nity' but then where does 'main' come in - I was tying that up with 'saline'?
I really can't get on with the Guardian!

The "main" is what the sea, ocean etc. is often referred to as, so it contains salt - a measure of which is "salinity".

That's where the "not" was suggested.

Sorry, Chris, but It still doesn't make sense to me - maybe I'm being obtuse!
I think I'll stick to the Times!
but thanks for your time....!

I read it as:
How much of the main (sea/ocean) substance is present = salinity
clue, I feel the next part of the clue should read: It's not madness = sanity
to include lithium = li

Thank you, Jazzy - I had all the bits , see my first post , but was thrown by the omission of 'not'.
Maybe I'm not quite as thick as I thought??!!!

It was just a bad clue, I feel.
You did fine Elle

Thank you for massaging my battered ego, JG!

I have now read the debate on 15 squared. Here it is if you want to read it Elle http://www.fifteensquared.net/2015/04/16/guardian-26547-by-paul/#comments