Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Hi there,

First time poster here, so please excuse any gaffes (I did search and didn't find any preexisting threads).

I just need help parsing an answer, if that's ok?

It was the only one in this puzzle I couldn't crack, and upon looking at the solution, and indeed explanation provided by the compiler, I still couldn't quite get it!

The clue is 25 across - "Surrealists, for instance, latch on to absurd material." (6)

The answer is apparently MADRAS. I had never heard of madras the material, but hey ho. The bit I can't fathom is why "RAS" means "surrealists, for instance". It's probably something fairly obvious and common but is a gap in my knowledge it seems!

TIA

Split it as "MAD RAS", where RAS are artists. "Mad artists" could be a description of Surrealists, though a bit unfair!

I forgot to say "hello and welcome"! There are lots of helpful people here (although the site does seem to have been very quiet the last few days).

Welcome to the forum.
Surrealists is being used here as an example of artists. Artists is often indicated as RA (Royal Academician)

Haha, I like that alternative interpretation!

Ah, many thanks. I did suspect that it was "RAs" more than "RAS", but I was totally unfamiliar with that abbreviation, philistine that I apparently am.