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@Paul and @Quisling,

Well… as I said I sent a note to the author Jasper Fforde and he was kind enough to respond to me just now. Here’s exactly what he said which I will copy and paste…

“Hi Jono,

Yes it does have an answer, and yes it is a cryptic clue.

It's not the first time I've used crossword clues but left the answer blank. Don't know why. Despite being a writer, I am terrible at crosswords.

In 'Shades of Grey' there is this one:

“Three down,” he muttered, “I spy an Equus. Nine letters, begins and ends in A.”

...which should be obvious, and might help you solve the plumber clue. They *are* cryptic, but best not overthink it, and there's probably a silly joke or pun involved.

The actual answer? I wish I could remember. I may, given a bit of time. If I come up with it, I'll let you know.

Or offer a clue

hmmm...

Jasper”

Thanks, Jono. That’s most instructive. I think I know the answer to that clue, and its construction. Now to apply it to the original …

Well… I’ve had another email from Jasper. Here it is in full…

“Pedants united. What a great place to hang out - although I won't, because I'll never leave.

I am sometimes called pedantic, and my stock answer is that actually it should be pronounced ''pedantique' from the French. I'm not so sure this is true, but if someone is going to call you pedantic, you need to meet fire with fire...

I remembered the answer. It's 'Writer's Block' which is a far too oblique, but reflects the difficulties I had writing the book. I think it might have been a personal in-joke, so I may have made the clue purposefully obscure.

You got the Equus clue, I take it?

Best,

Jasper”


Thanks, Jasper, we may not have got there, but now we know!

Funnily enough that was one of my candidates, as it fitted “slow to pen”, and plumbers deal with blockages, but I couldn’t justify handbook, even though a block is also a pad of paper.

I assumed the horse was Appaloosa, on the grounds that I-Spy needs to be considered as I is pie, piebald, and an Appaloosa is just that. Was that your thinking?

I agree Quisling. In the book the line is spoken, so it’s not clear how the clue might have appeared in the printed puzzle the character is reading from.

Well done for tracking him down, Jono. That was very good work, and it’s nice to have the solution. One of my bugbears with quiz threads on here is that people never come back and say if your answers were correct!

Yes, it was an interesting little diversion. I’m now wondering if there other literary works with embedded unsolved cryptic clues?

Changing the subject…

The latest update to WordWeb includes the word “CRACKPOTTERY”, which I rather like.

Jono, I like Crackpottery... though I don't know if I'll ever get to use it!

Grunger, Jigjag... an EV clue for you

Rectresses bin weak scrappy plants (13, two words)

NB This is a thematic puzzle, involving single extra letters in some clues. And it is a recent puzzle, a prize one, and some solvers might not have tackled it yet... so no need for the answer. It was the 'rectresses' that made me think of you.

I notice there is a new feature on fifteensquared which allows you to alter a post within two minutes of making it. This seems rather helpful if, for example, you make an obvious error and realise immediately (as often happens… in my experience anyway).

I wonder if it would be worth asking Ash is something similar is possible here? Have any of you seen it and what do you think?

See the first thread at the top of the homepage over there for more detail.