These are dark times for crossword fans. Evil forces are at work to undermine our simple pleasure. But last night I had a vision. The Joker appeared before me and told me that only the RT Club could lead us out of the cesspit we are currently swirling around in and lead us to a golden future. But first they need a plan.
They should start by renaming themselves The Holy Church of RT
Crosswordsolverists (HCRTC). Modelling themselves on the Hari Krishna movement they should dress in flowing robes and dance and skip along the road while endlessly chanting their mantra:
”additional clue good, answer bad,”.
They should do this for as long as it takes to brainwash or bludgeon the great unwashed into accepting it as a self evident truth.
These great marches should be organised to take in individual members’ houses so that adequate rest periods and time for crossword contemplation are provided. During these stopovers each house will be officially designated a “Sacred Temple of HCRTC“.
From time to time it will be necessary for the “Golden Synod”, as the luminaries of the inner circle will be known, to deliberate and cogitate on matters of great import. For instance, they and they alone will have the authority to decree whether the answer is “sealing” or “ceiling”. When they make their decisions public they may or may not answer questions from lesser mortals. But once they utter the sacred words “Nuff Said”, no more questions are allowed.
In times of national crossword emergency, such as an ambiguous clue , an inner circle of the inner circle may, if they wish, travel to Parnassus to take advice from Turast, the High Priest of The Living God Araucaria, at the Cruciverbalist’s Pantheon.
Finally. When the endless mantra chanting has achieved it’s purpose their true goal will be revealed. The total abolition of “answers”. In future crosswords will be published showing the grid filled in. What the solverist must do is duplicate whatever the clues would have been in the past.