No offence but this puzzle was only published this morning and you have over two weeks to complete it. Please work on it for at least a few days before screaming for help!
no offence take Quizmonkey.
I've been working on it for about 5 hours - I wasn't aware there was a time lag before you are allowed to ask for help. What would you say is a reasonable amount of time before the white flag is allowed to go up and you can ask for help?
If you look through past posts on a saturday or a sunday you will see entire prize xwords completed on this site within a few hours of publication. I expect to see you remonstrating with other ABers who are seeking help too.
Thank you mad max for your help.
Few puzzles have as long a closing date as the Spectator. The obviosus reason for its length is that it is acknowledged as an 'advanced' ie. a more difficult puzzle that requires more thought and work of the solver. Do you not agree that, if you're giving up after 5 hours when you have over two weeks, it kind of defeats the object?
I'm not stating that there's a minimum time etc, or people being 'allowed' to post, I just feel it's a shame - and can only empathise with how the compiler must feel. I won't comment on the weekend morons who demand answers to straightforward puzzles before noon Saturday or Sunday every week...
Quizmonkey, on reading your comments I feel compelled to register my indignation at your reference to "weekend morons", which I feel is a most unnecessary turn of phrase.
Whilst I agree with almost all of your comments ref asking for answers at such an early stage, whether it be on the advanced puzzles or otherwise, to refer to others in such a derogatory manner, who in many cases may be youngsters or perhaps elderly and not as gifted as you, is really most unwarranted.
As well as insulting people who love crosswords and want help Quizmonkey, you are also failing to see the point of this site: to help people. If you don't subscribe to that then either don't help people at all or look for a different site. I would recommend ww.rudecurmudgeons.com for you.
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You can't "love crosswords" that much if you give up after a few hours when you have over two weeks at your disposal. There was nothing rude or curmudgeonly in anything I wrote.