Guardian 23,927

[cesdlv]

Most of you will have forgotten by now, but I still cannot get 15 across; 4 letters, ?O?E, "What's to contend with the 1 down 3?", which triggers lots of other answers. A hint would be better than the answer, but I'd accept either, please.

[kev100]

cesdlv, since you dont actually say what the question is (we dont all read the guardian) here are some possibilities.

bode bole bone bore code coke cole come cone cope core cote cove doge dole dome done dope dore dose dote dove doze fore gone gore hoke hole home hone hope hose hove howe joke jole kore lobe lode loge lone lope lore lose love lowe mode moke mole mome mope more mote moue move node nome none nope nose note ooze poke pole pome pone pope pore pose robe rode role rope rose rote roue rove soke sole some sone sore toke tole tome tone tope tore tote vole vote woke wore wove yoke yore yowe zone

[kayakamina]

Bone....The theme to the puzzle

[cesdlv]

Sorry, Kev, but I absolutely did give the clue, albeit without explaining that 1 down was vitamin.

Many thanks kayakamina. 6 other answers just dropped into place.

[kettledrum]

The vitamin is B1 ie b one !

[cesdlv]

Doh! Quite right, kettledrum. I had just worked this out from kayakamina's answer, then repeated the mistake I had previously been making of reading 1 as the clue answer rather than as 'one'. Soz.