Herculis 17d

[gumboot]

2d was bad enough, but MM's been larking about with 17d too. Is it REATA or RIATA?

Thanks

[bradmoor]

It can be either, according to my Collins

[Pangolin]

Why not accept that either will be OK and just move on?

[JoolsTwo]

I have gone with riata - I would think either should be accepted. We will see.

[gumboot]

Not a very helpful comment Pangolin eh? Try reading the earlier posts about Gyron/Giron in the DTGK crossword last Saturday.

Both were right, yet the compiler has only accepted Gyron as the correct answer. So accepting that "either will be OK" doesn't work, does it?

I, like others that post here, only require an idea of the most likely answer from the majority opinion of others. That's the name of the game.

[gumboot]

Thanks JimJools. Thanks too bradmoor for acknowledging the problem.

[JoolsTwo]

I suppose we could put a diagonal line through the relevant square and put -i - one side and -e- the other.

[Aquagility]

I'm with gumboot on this one. I can see no point in your diagonal line, Jools, because we may be sure that MM will have chosen one or the other. Usually I am persuaded that there is some argueable balance of probability, but this time I'm just going to toss a coin.
It came down Reata.

[POINCIANA]

I think JimJools has the right idea; I often do this... and I still don't win.