Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Hi, Rusty!
Now I had looked at my (sometimes unreliable ! ) Chambers.........
But of course I looked under "master" - no mention at all of its meaning "demon"!
But yes, I have since checked out "demon" and, as Malone said, Chambers does indicate that it can mean a person of great skill.
However, I checked both in Anne Bradford and she gives neither as meaning the other!!
So???
I know my opinion means nothing in the great scheme of things , but.........I am not happy!
However, diverging..........I like Monet very much and have spent a lot of time in the National Gallery looking at his paintings! and been to several special exhibitions!


Thank you, Malone!
It did not occur to me to reverse the search, and look up "demon"!
I don't like it though!

You're welcome,Elle. I've been caught out like that before, checking the wrong word. I don't like the clue much myself!

Hello, Elle,
Demon can mean someone who is highly skilled at something.
For instance in cricket, a "demon bowler" is a highly skilled bowler, hence a master.
My Chambers, for instance, gives "demon" as a "person of great skill" and "genius". Either of these can mean "master", surely?
Anne, in my book, wants "demon" lumped with "devil".
That does not help!
I think it is a perfectly valid clue and have no quibble with the setter, regarding it.

I just typed "synonym for demon" into my search bar/Google.
And the third item on the first entry gives "master" as a synonym for "demon",
I rest my case.

Rusty, although I have no quibble as such with the clue, I don't like it because it seemed very clunky - I prefer smoother, more elegant clues. Like you, I think the master/demon thing works fine.

Mmm......... I have just looked it up in my Collins Thesaurus.....
When looking up "master" it does NOT give "demon" as a synonym -
yet when looking up "demon", it DOES offer up "master."
I still don't like it!
Surely if the one means the other , they should be interchangeable?

I have no problem with it, Malone.
For me it is much preferred to having to know which station 'Arry from 'Ampstead gets on at.
I have found "master" and "demon" as synonyms for each other in Collins Thesaurus and Oxford Thesaurus.
I had a look at Chambers Thesaurus but it was going to cost £2.99 to download the app, so I gave it a miss!

I have a paperback Chambers Thesaurus.
It give neither as a synonym of the other!

Hello, Elle,
I had a look at Chambers Thesaurus on Amazon.
Very mixed reviews.
Some love it, others hate it.
One lad said in his copy, the first word was "barley".
No entries under "A"!
Hard to believe!

Hi, Rusty!
I'm not particularly fond of my Chambers Thesaurus; I much prefer the Collins version.
But my Chambers Thesaurus does have numerous ( into the hundreds) entries under "A" - from the first one of "abandon" through to "axle".
I am reading about the origins of the Steed family now in "Chesapeake" and who swore allegiance to either the Pope or the Crown.
And the beginnings of Catholicism versus Protestantism, and the way things were twisted and distorted to gain favourable points of view.
How difficult it was for the Steeds to remain true to both their faith and their sovereign.
I am still wondering "where " this is all going?
It will be interesting to find out...........