Sunday Times 4297

[BSA350]

16 across: Crazy person acknowledged to have several bits missing (4) W _ C _

[mazie]

Waco ?

[pbeach]

Mazie - I thought that - but Why?

[mazie]

a wacko or whacko is a crazy person minus the k or kh. That's my only reasoning pbeach. I'm sure there's more to it. Plus the stuff that went on at Waco was a a bit crazy!

[BSA350]

Surely 'waco' would be 'wacco' as in crazy/zany. Isn't Waco the town in Texas?

[Catron]

Wack

[JMR27]

I'm sure I had "wack" for the answer as it appeared in the clue - is part of the clue missing from your question?

[mazie]

just going to say it could also be Wack

[BSA350]

Correction: wacko. But still not entirely convinced!

[BSA350]

Correction: wacko. But still not entirely convinced!
But why 'wack' - as in to hit/slap ?

[pbeach]

Catron - Wack certainly looks better, but am still struggling with the reasoning :-) Maybe its just a bad clue aka the Telegraph at times... (forgive the pun)

[Catron]

To hit/slap is wHack

wack
n an eccentric person.
adj bad; extreme. (Chambers)

[BSA350]

In the ST; surely not!

[BSA350]

Thanks Catron. I think I'll go, albeit reluctantly, with wack.

[Catron]

Hi pbeach - like JMR27, I wondered whether part of the clue is missing as I know this was the answer given before and I am not sure it is just coincidence that ACKnowledged has the last three letters of WACK.

[Catron]

BSA350 - was the clue not something like 'Crazy person noW ACKnowledged' etc? (capitals mine). If so, I think this should confirm the answer for you?

[pbeach]

Catron -- if that is the case that would confirm it...