Crossword Help Forum
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That's great Mooncow, thanks for sharing:-)

In response to rad at 98, malone's opening message does not say that answers must not be given, only that they may be given. And yet someone was criticised elsewhere in this thread for giving answers. Maybe this thread should be called "May contain answers but it must not". Maybe we need a third Listener thread called "May contain answers and it may do", but I don't know what Norah would make of that.

This sort of discussion crops up here from time to time and that is one reason these malone threads were created, so that those who object to seeing answers know to avoid it.

Finally, a casual observation I've made over the years which some people will disagree with. It has seemed to me that the harder the puzzle, the more reluctant people are to give answers.

Rad, your post mentioned 'marred by explicit answers to the clues' - and I think that is a little unfair. The thread, approved by the Forum administrators, says 'May Contain Answers' - and it occasionally does. I also mention 'hints, large and small' as some solvers are perfectly happy with those.

I personally don't mind gentle hints to the theme and I don't think there is a ban on that. I wouldn't like to see 'you need the names of the footballers in the winning World Cup squad' as that would give too much away.

Orson, thanks. Norah, the site administrator, mentioned a week or so ago that the present system seems to work reasonably well.

My take is that I can't get remotely stressed about someone giving "too much" help on a Crossword Help Forum. Some need a gentle nudge while others need a full answer - and all shades in between. When I first started, I needed loads of help and without it, I would have given up the ghost and missed out on some excellent puzzles. I have noticed quite a few others trudging the same path from bewildered to competent and that has to be a good thing.

Thanks, Tatters. I'd never have got to master Inquisitor and Enigmatic Variations without the occasional trip to the Forum - and I always appreciated the help (yes, even the odd answer) I got here. I like seeing this continuing, and I like helping/trying to help when I can.

Hints and nudges don't distress me, but I'm not a fan of answers being given outright. It has happened this weekend on one of the "toughie" crossword threads, maybe this one. If direct answers are required then surely it could be achieved privately via E-Mail?

......and I have commented previously that we have all been new puzzlers and that it has taken most of us years to get to the level where we can manage puzzles of the level of difficulty of the last two Listeners. There is no easy route apart from battling away. You will never get there by requesting a solution as soon as you think that you are stuck.

orson - isn’t it more likely that if a puzzle is harder then there are smaller number of people than normal that are in a position to contribute answers, particularly during the Friday/Saturday of the crossword

I think the vast majority of people on this thread are broadly in the same place on this:

1. If someone asks for a hint, give them a hint. Don't give them the answer. Much more satisfying to solve after a hint than just be told the answer. If they still don't get it after the hint they can come back and ask for another hint or the answer.

2. Don't give the theme away unasked for on Saturday at lunchtime. Again, it just spoils the enjoyment of others. Obviously absolutely fine to respond to requests for help with the theme, preferably with nudges rather than just blurting it out, for the same reasons as above.

Great puzzle! As everyone else has said. I would add that virtually every answer is a word in common usage, which is very unusual. 19d excepted maybe.
My only query is, is the description of the thematic item just two words? I was expecting it to be more specific...relating to it's size maybe.