Too easy or too hard? What’s the solution? Join the great Metro crossword debate and have your say

It’s been 1 of the astir debated topics in MetroTalk mailbag history.

Not Brexit, not Trump, not adjacent what should hap to radical who don’t instrumentality their rucksacks disconnected erstwhile they committee the train. No, it’s our new Quick Crossword.

After relaunching it connected November 11, we got exasperated comments that it was excessively hard. That it was getting you down. We printed immoderate connected these pages and started talking to the compiler astir making it a spot little tricksy.

But past others wrote successful to support the caller version, that you were crossed it and enjoying the enhanced intelligence workout. So, what to do? What is the solution?

Should it enactment (tricky) oregon should it spell (back to however it was)? Or should it beryllium determination successful between? We are present and we volition listen. Let america cognize successful the comments and by voting successful the canvass below.

Is the crossword excessively tricky? Here’s what you person been saying:

‘Despair and torment’
We’re 3 avid metro crossworders. We bash the ‘Quick Crossword’ everyday. However, it appears to person changed oregon should I accidental got harder! Why? It’s present besides antithetic from the online speedy crossword wherever it was the same.Unfortunately our speedy triumph to the commencement of our time has turned into torment & despair! Please tin you revert backmost truthful we tin commencement the time with a win. 3 Frustrated Loyal Crossworders via Email

‘Enough is enough’
Dear Metro, On behalf of the Crossword Association of Metro Readers, contiguous marks the 2 weeks of suffering and feeling similar a dummy, staring astatine your caller crossword with nary thought however to capable it in.
We breezed done the aged crossword and finished it astatine an mean of 10 to 15 minutes with a cleanable people and truthful starting our time feeling similar a genius with truthful overmuch pride. We would similar to fto you cognize that capable is capable and we request the aged crossword back. We privation it backmost this coming Monday. Just to fto you know, immoderate of our members ain tractors, too. Ersire, London

‘Wishy washy quiz’
I tin nary longer incorporate my ire astatine what you person done to the ‘quick’ crossword. This is nary longer a crossword nor is it quick. This utilized to beryllium a bully distraction for my colleagues and maine successful our abbreviated luncheon interruption earlier heading backmost to toil. Now it has go a quiz with wishy-washy clues and ridiculously hard questions – atomic fig of germanium, hello?!
Please reconstruct what we had travel to cognize and love, not this weirdness. Becky B, Derby, And The Rest Of The NHS

‘Everyone has the close to a greeting crossword’
English is not my archetypal connection and astir completing the speedy crossword a fewer days a week made maine arrogant of my knowing of it.
All changed with the caller mentation – truthful difficult! Please beryllium inclusive – immigrants person the close to a greeting crossword, too. Stella, vie email

‘Not truthful “quick” anymore’
I wholly hold with everything others are saying astir the ‘quick’ crossword. I utilized to bash it connected my 20-minute commute but nary much – the clues are truthful cryptic. Not 1 to complain, I person taken to doing the Sudoku instead, but you should truly perceive to your readers and spell backmost to the archetypal format. Claire, Crayford

‘The last straw’
May I adhd my sanction to the increasing database of radical annoyed by the caller changes to the alleged ‘quick’ crossword?
My main crushed for speechmaking Metro, aft the quality articles, is the speedy crossword but it has go acold excessively complex.
The last straw was Tuesday’s ridiculous hint of ‘Neuter reflexive pronoun’. What? Is the crossword setter trying to archer america however clever he/she is? Just spell backmost to the aged 1 successful the sanction of my sanity, please. Steve, Leeds

‘Anger-inducing encephalon ache’
For the emotion of each that is bully successful the world, delight spell backmost to the aged format! Why person you made a speedy brain-teaser into a cryptic, anger-inducing encephalon ache? Two Sheds, via email

‘My greeting commute ruined’
You person managed to ruin my greeting commute! I emotion doing your crossword connected the mode to work, and connected my WFH days I locomotion to the presumption truthful I tin get your insubstantial and bash the crossword.
Well, since you person updated the page, I person recovered the clues precise hard and frustrating and tin implicit lone possibly 15 per cent, whereas earlier I was capable to implicit astatine slightest 75 per cent. Vicky, via email

Some readers are enjoying the challenge

‘Makes you think’
The caller speedy crossword makes america deliberation alternatively than retrieve answers to oft precise acquainted clues. Keep up the hard work. Well done! Nita, Ealing

‘I person to usage my brain’
I utilized to find the aged speedy crossword a elemental admin exercise, truthful americium overmuch preferring the caller format, wherever I person to usage my brain.
And I’m not conscionable saying this due to the fact that my relative is the Editor. Matt Arthurs, Orpington
(Hi, Matt, and acknowledgment – Ed)

‘Brain-sharpener’
It’s large to person a harder mentation of the speedy crossword. Friends and myself are enjoying the challenge. To those who don’t similar it, bask the brain-sharpener! Gillian, Coventry

‘Loving the Metro puzzles treble page’
I americium truly enjoying the caller Metro puzzles treble page. The speedy crossword is harder than accustomed though, and it’s making maine consciousness dumb. I bash bask the wordwheel though – I’m perpetually getting 16 and above. So, portion I mightiness beryllium lacking erstwhile it comes to the caller speedy crossword, I’m making up for it with the wordwheel. Julia, Dulwich.

‘Fellow crossworders, clasp the challenge’
For those radical bleating astir the crossword getting harder, get a life.
I utilized to bash the speedy crossword successful 2 oregon 3 minutes and I hold it’s harder present (as is the cryptic one) but, hey, it’s bully to beryllium tested a spot more.
So, travel on, chap crossworders, knuckle down and clasp the challenge. Martin Lawrence, South Croydon

Here’s a hint for you…

‘Eight letters…’
With regards to the caller crossword, I person to accidental I’m enjoying the caller challenge. To paraphrase Friedrich Nietzsche, ‘That which does not termination america makes america (eight letters)’. Paul Billson, Letchworth Garden City

’12-letters…’
To each those Metro readers criticising and struggling with your caller speedy crossword puzzles, present is simply a adjuvant 12-letter hint for them – ‘constant persistence’. It it begins with ‘p’ and ends with ‘e’. Answer: ‘perseverance’.
PS Hope they tin instrumentality a joke! Leo, Romford

We volition study backmost connected the results of the canvass and connected our talks with our crossword creators successful the Talk pages soon.

What are your thoughts? Have your accidental successful the comments belowComment Now

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