Fifteen Squared

It's a historic day for another reason: for the first time ever (or maybe just the first time in absolutely yonks), I finished the Saturday Grauniad crossword, after many weeks of incompetence and/or lacking inspiration. I had just one clue remaining last night (seven down) but I knew the answer, just not the logic, and then finally I got it this morning. Also, there were two words that I needed to look up in the dictionary after I'd worked them out to check that they were actually real words that meant approximately what I thought they did. And yes, I know that for many people this wouldn't be much of an achievement but you have to remember that for many years, I only ever knew the bunny slopes that are the Torygraph crossword.

It is perhaps obvious that I am ill at the moment, which has forced me to forego most running (other than a gentle, five-miler this morning) and which has therefore meant I have more time to spend solving crosswords and writing blog posts.

NB: This post was written on Sunday, December 6, but lest the Grauniad send their crossword lawyers to tell me off for giving away the answers before the closing date of the competition and lest I give other people the opportunity to enter the prize draw to win a Collins English Dictionary (I'd rather have the OED myself), the post will only be pushed live after the competition closes on Friday.