herculis crossword,Daily Telegraph, May 22nd. 2006.

[Vimto]

Has the compiler boobed with 8 down? clue: plant's coiling threadlike climbing organ (8). I have T?N?R?L? I thought TENDRIL but it doesn't fit. Can you spell it TENDRILL? my dictionaries say not. Has the compiler made an error? Any thoughts folks?

[gardenknowin]

I think he/she has boobed - can't find tendriLL anywhere. I'm putting tendrilS as my best shot and look forward to yet another apology next week!

[JoolsTwo]

I would say Tendril'S as the clue says Plant's.

[barterboy]

was about to ask the same online oed has a spelling of tendryll which would also fit

[johnalex]

I've put TENDRIL and blanked out the last square. If I'm the only person to do this I might win . . . !

[wolshouse]

Plant's is one plant, not plural, therefore the answer is either tendrill or tendryll.

[sincnoel]

isn't it about time we all wrote to the crosswords editor at the tele demanding that the compiler gets his act together?

[sincnoel]

... although i do rather like today's ursine howler

[Vimto]

Thank you for your comments.gardenknowin I don't know who the compiler is but the Telegraph employ a crossword editor who should spot these problems. I agree , there have been too many mistakes in the various Telegraph puzzles lately. I do know that the crossword editor is a woman. I wrote to her for some advice on choosing a dictionary a few weeks ago and never received a reply.I agree with wolshouse " plant's" in this context is possessive, "organ " is obviously singular so the answer should be singular.I like barterboy's TENDRYLL. sounds a bit archaic but if it's in OED that' s good enough for me.Johnalex has turned vandal, I often feel like that, make up your own grid, you'd win every time. Thanks all.

[sincnoel]

alas, tendryll is not in my new shorter oxford.

[brainiac]

I think it has to be TENDRILS, and yet another mistake by Michael Mepham - he compiles Saturday's, so presumably does the Herculis as there are linked solutions. Maybe the Telegraph Crossword Editor only deals with the cryptic crosswords?

[sincnoel]

brainiac, MM does them ALL. he has an editorial operation in the west country that must be expanding at a rate of knots since the arrival of sudoku and the rest. the obviously growing size also explains the errors.

[harrytabby]

On page 3260 of the Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary - Volume II it states "Tendril also 6. yll" - so I shall use tendryll.

Hope this helps

Harrytabby

[cheshunt]

Mike Mepham, who compiles both Saturday's Xword & Herculis can be contacted at [email protected] Suggest we all contact him about this one. Agree that he probably has too much on his plate these days but that doesn't help us does it. Now that the prize money has reduced the solving gets harder!!!

[cheshunt]

Mike has tested me beyond endurance this week, especially as the Telegraph price has increased by 12 and a half % from 60p to 65p and the prize money halved from �500 to �250. I appreciate that the price rise is not his fault but really, we are, getting far too many double answers lately. I think we need a younger man. He can also be contacted via his own website by emailing [email protected] I have sent him a snorter this time but maybe won't get a reply!!!!