sat dt gk

[Minoru]

Mepham's gremlins have struck again.
In my paper I can hardly make out the four darkened sections for transfer to Monday's Herculis.
I believe they are 3 down, 25 across, 30 across and 44 down.
Do others agree?

[paulineward]

Yes..seems like that...must admit mine isn't very clear either.

[sarumite]

Yes, they are the same in my issue.
I have now finished crossword, and have "tongs" for 30across, but is this right? I don't think it is normally pluralised.

[sarumite]

Sorry, I have checked further and "Tongs" appears to be OK.

[paulineward]

I have put Tongs

[sincnoel]

minoru, the shading doesn't really matter because the relevant clues are in bold type anyway. as for tongs, it's another MM error because the question is singular and the apparent answer is plural. can this guy never get it all right?

[sarumite]

thanks sincnoel, it was the singular bias of the question that caused my uncertainty.

[mjd]

hello, In all of the dictionaries that I have checked Tong is the name of the secret society (taken from the Chinese for "meeting place"). Tongs would be the plural. The question was asking for the singular in the answer, but I guess this is another error (although minor).

[Minoru]

Thanks sincnoel for pointing out the obvious which I had missed. We can move forward the appropriate answers to Herculis with confidence. At least another error with tongs was brought to light.

Minoru

[jabula]

I am surprised and disappointed at the number of moaners on this site. I hope Michael Mepham never takes umbrage and decides that he has had enough! Then where will we be?

[BrianFrancis]

I think in this debate, what is being forgotten is that there is
a person called a"proof reader" who is employed to check these possible errors before Final Print.

[Minoru]

jabula,

I think we are entitled to moan a bit. It is nearly every week that something is wrong with the GK crossword, Certainly the sub-edit staff are not doing their job properly and MIchael in compiling the crosswords slips in singular definitions when plural is requred to fit the answer. Also he has his own ideas of spelling - Cheyney last week for example.
Perhaps another crossword editor could do better.

[Aeolus]

The link clues are listed by number in the Herculis promo blurb. Personnaly I think this would be the best way of identifying same. I don't like the shaded boxes and bolding the clues just introduces another chance of error. Whatever, I wish the DT would choose one option and stick to it. Would help proofreading as well methinks?

[dwil]

Jabula - one of the best things about the site is to have a good old moan!

[sincnoel]

brianfrancis, proofreaders went out when new technology came in. newspapers don't have them any more and haven't for years.