On the question of the solution, I have a nagging feeling that I have heard the word used in a play, no later than Restoration period, and meaning ‘a prompter’. It’s certainly not in the Gutenberg ‘Complete Shakespeare’ text file (excellent for quick word searches).

“On Countdown there is a rule that if the word has one syllable then the comparative/superlative is allowed, but if the word has more than one syllable then it has to be specified. Sort of makes sense.

“I looked in Chambers and under ‘tall’ it doesn’t give ‘taller’ or ‘tallest’ yet surely everyone would agree that these words exist. Evidently Chambers doesn’t give comps/sups so Azed must take the view that it’s fair for any adjective to have ‘-er’ or ‘-est’, not the Countdown policy but arguably perfectly fair.

“Actually Chambers probably says this somewhere but I haven’t looked.”

Whatever view Azed takes I’m actually more concerned about the apparent looseness of the comp. anag.

Hi muchpuzzled.
I think you are right,having done more research on SUDDENER,it does not seem to be in any dictionary in my local library,nor can I find it in any online dictionary.I have found a few more examples of it’s use in ‘literature’ http://www.wordnik.com/words/suddener
It seems to have been in use from about the mid 19th century,but I doubt if that qualifies it for inclusion in a(Ximenean)crossword.

Like other posters, I am also not convinced that such a word exists as it is not in Chambers or any other dictionary I have referenced. It feels like an artifice created to fill that awkward bottom right hand corner. SUDDEN may equate with PROMPT as an adjective, but I am reluctant to accept this form, even though Scarpia has kindly posted a link to a ghastly ‘poetic’ usage. What does “Suddener” actually mean?

The definition part “lassie’s modern kind of lover” is faulty.

It requires one to ‘modernise’ LOVER to LOUVRE ( or LOUVER ) which is an obsolete form of DOVECOT which then requires Scotticising via “lassie’s” into DOOCOT.

It should more correctly read “lassie’s former modern kind of lover” in order to make clear the obsolescence of LOUVRE implying DOVECOTE. Far too clever by half with AZ hoist by his own petard.

nmsindy I think you’re probably right and my notion that Azed had a coming of age in his family was simply a bit fanciful.

I notice that whenever I post asking for clarification on comp. anags nobody ever comments (as happened to Robin Gilbert on the Crossword Centre Message Board when he had a second try at getting the answers). Is it I wonder because actually nobody knows what the “rules” are, or at least nobody knows how Azed interprets these rules?

http://icanhascheezburger.com/2007/01/11/i-can-has-cheezburger-3/