Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Hello,
In a clearout I've found an old Metro Cryptic. Can anyone help me parse this clue?

Make a chance discovery and hand over information on demand (4,6)
COME ACROSS

I get that "make a chance discovery" is the definition but can't make sense of the rest of the clue.

Hi Trickyvic,

It's a double definition. In addition to "make a chance discovery", Chambers gives it as "to hand over information, a confession, money etc, on demand".

Thanks Brendan, that's a new one for me!

Stupidly I hadn't checked Chambers before posting but my (13th) edition doesn't mention the "on demand" bit - just "to give or supply (often with 'with').

Many thanks!

Actually, I misquoted - it's ".......... in answer to demand or inducement".

Which edition do you have Brendan? I'm intrigued re. the (slightly) differing definitions.

I've got the phone app version of the both the dictionary and the thesaurus - both are very good and have a word search facility that is so helpful for crosswords.

Hi, I’ve got both the electronic and hardcopy 2016 v13.
Trickyvic, if you look up “across”, it’s on page 14 of my hardcopy dictionary, you’ll find the wording Brendan quoted relating to ‘comes across’. You won’t find this if you look up ‘comes...’.

I guess there pros and cons of the electronic and book versions. I do like the feel if the book though :)

Thanks Jono! I'm not the sharpest today - didn't think to see what it said for across.