Spectator 1860

[Rollo]

22ac The clue is:

Gospel's foremost in Eastern set.

The answer is, I hope, NEAREST.

But apart from 'nearest' being an anagram of 'Eastern' I can't fathom out why it is the answer. What has it to do with Gospel's?

[cruciverbali]

Have you checked Chambers or Brewer's for a biblical interpretation Rollo ?

[Rollo]

I checked the definitions of all the relevant words in Chambers.

If you don't want to reveal the answer to my question then that's OK.

I don't mind.

[Mampara]

Evangel?

E - Eastern
Van - foremost/lead
Gel- set

[Rollo]

Thank you.

[cinnabar]

Rollo

There was a lengthy exchange about this in Thursday which you can find at http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Quizzes-and-Puz zles/Crosswords/Question552382.html

I haven't looked at the whole puzzle but from a quick check of the intersecting clues I think NEAREST has to be the answer to be submitted, though I entirely agree that EVANGEL is the solution to the clue as written. There again, perhaps Doc is being more devious than appears to be the case at first sight!

[Mysterons]

I'd have thought Cruciverbalist is correct Rollo - perhaps foremost is a synonym for NEAREST found in one of the Gospels ?

[Rollo]

I have reviewed the other thread. Thanks for the link.

I am left with the conclusion that this is just a "bad" clue - bad in the context that the definition led to is not the answer required in the grid, and that there is no indication in the preamble to the puzzle that this might be the case.

I just wanted to know if there is a rational explanation for the apparant anomoly here.

Anyway, never mind. It is only a crossword. Not anything really important.