Crossword Help Forum
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Unclued, I don't think there's a specific 'Bible' for the Spectator crosswords, I don't recall seeing any mention of it. Words that are not in Chambers have appeared before - I remember thinking that was quite strange when the prize for the crossword is a Chambers dictionary!

KT17. Thanks. Much as I dislike the appearance of the word 'radioes', I felt I had to accept its validity. It's interesting in a way - 'radioed' doesn't look quite as bad, the present tense looks ... wrong or ugly (maybe both?) Not all newspapers, magazines, crosswords state a specific authority for their puzzle. Some do, but most don't. I think the crossword editor of the Times puzzles mentioned once that they use the 'standard' reference books. I think that's fine, why should setters ignore the excellent Oxford and Collins dictionaries?

You might expect that a puzzle which gives copies of Chambers as a prize - or did until Covid hit - would favout it as an editorial tool but no; even in the current puzzle (2470) I don't think you'll find 9d in Chambers. It's not in Collins either but you can find it in the Oxford Dictionary of English.

The Spectator custom (I don't say law) for many years has been that if a word is not in Chambers, the setter says so - and, often, points to where it might be found. The practice of informing us that a word is not in Chambers has been tacitly abandoned during the last year or so.

Personally, I love Chambers; but, that apart, there is much sense in having an accepted (and adhered to) ultimate referee, whether it be Chambers, Collins, OED or whatever.

My fury with The Spectator is it has been unilaterally ignoring its own custom.

The only reason I buy the appalling magazine is for the crossword. My subscription will soon be cancelled.