Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Malone #107: "I don't know how useful the Answers thread is proving to be. "

Norah, #108: "I’m seriously considering ditching the Answers thread"

Both of you have posted these on this thread which IS the 'ANSWERS ONLY thread!!

...and I'm pretty sure that what both of you are referring to is the new 'EXTRA HELP' thread
(but correct me if I'm wrong, and apologies will be due, but I won't quite follow your argument).

BUT if this IS the case, if you two can get confused, it just shows how mixed up the whole thing has become.
I agree that simplification and pruning would be wise - Occam's Razor.

I’m not confused and I will correct you Quixote because you are wrong, I am not talking about the Extra Help thread, I am talking about the ANSWERS THREAD which was set up to supply answers because a certain person wanted answers at the speed of light.

Discussions were never meant to take place in the ANSWERS Thread but that is exactly what happened, it got confusing because you all had discussions in that thread instead of in the Extra Help thread.

I’m adding a note to the Answers Thread tomorrow clarifying the purpose of the thread. In short, anything other than a direct question asking for an answer to a clue will be deleted.

All discussions are to take place in the Hints and Extra Help Threads; when requested, answers to clues are to be given in the Answers Thread.

There’s only another couple of weeks left for the Listener in 2021, I’ll see how the Answers threads works in those two weeks and review it in the New Year.

Here's a vote for doing away with the Answers thread.

Norah and malone have done just about everything possible but people still insist on posts that give away tons of information about the theme - quixote's post #104 is an obvious example (in fairness, quixote did not give anything away that had not already been revealed). This thread is supposed to be strictly confined to individual clues.

Even for just clues, I do not think there's much enthusiasm for giving the explicit answers to clues. I am more than happy to give nudges, suggestions etc. but I am never going to post the actual answer to a clue and I suspect most of the regulars feel the same way. Why would anyone expect there to be a board where one can go and get actual answers to a Listener?

Surely 'gentle hints' and 'extra help' should be sufficient.

Quixote, the Answers thread seemed an appropriate place to discuss the Answers thread.

Buzzb. I agree with much of what you say, but I reminded myself that the Answers thread exists only for a reason. There seemed a fair bit of discord on the Forum when too much information, when the hints got too big, that Norah canvassed opinions. It appeared that an Answers thread would keep any answers away from regular solvers and it would also be a last resort for someone struggling with a clue, with a puzzle. As we now know, it didn't quite work out that way. There were very few requests for help, there were very many posts saying what a bad idea the thread was, there were increasing numbers of posts giving away more and more thematic information.

I don't think Norah can be blamed for trying to keep everyone happy even though It hasn't been a successful experiment. If we return to the hints and nudges format, I expect there will still be mutterings about how much help is being given. The Listener, for various reasons, seems to provoke strong reactions!

I've had a rethink since my post last night and have decided that the Answers thread is dead and buried, it was causing too much confusion so we'll revert back to the two threads.

Malone will post the Gentle Hints and Extra Help threads later, now let's please try to get back to some semblance of normality.

Thank you Quixote for your comments in #104. I am in exactly the same boat. I have a full grid (except for the barred off cell!) together with the "question", "instruction" and"thematic sequence". However, I seem unable to get any further. I started to play the game when I was 12¼ ...... and gave it up when I was 12½. So I do not really understand the moves to be played. Where do they start? Are the moves connected in any way? Is a schoolboy TB involved? I know where Harry East comes from. Will anybody please give a nudge to those of us who are struggling after heroically filling the grid?

All help will be appreciated.

I note Norah's comment about ending the "Answers Only" thread. I can only agree with this. I have found the past few months the most unhelpful during the period that I have used this site. I hope the reversion to only two threads will enable more helpful contributions including strong hints about obtuse and little known themes.

The post - if you followed the instruction you will no longer have a full grid. You have the theme so consider the empty cells as the centre of the “arena” ands the 32 cells above and below as the “combatants”. Make the moves in sequence and note the letters you move. Google the resulting word with the second word of the question.

I can’t quite figure the parsing for 8d “Related Scottish corps nearly lifts shooter” though I know the answer and the letter. Can anyone give me a nudge? Must be missing something obvious.

Oh, and I’ve seen a few references to the title, but I’ve not spotted the significance yet, if anyone can point me in a useful direction…?

Mooncow, 8d. is an abbreviation for 'related' + Scots word for 'corpse', minus the last letter... all reversed.