Abbreviations for Papers

[AB Editor]

Dear All,

We've collected together all your suggestions and put them into one big list. We're intending to filter them out by national/local weekly/daily etc so that we can have a better understanding of it all.

I was unaware that you were all so busy with the business of crosswording and quizzing! I will publish the rather long list below.

I was hoping you could do us one more service - let us know the agreed abbreviations for certain puzzles and papers. We've got DM for Daily Mail and DT for the Daily Telegraph. Is Ob. used as well? (For the Observer of course). I cannot remember!

We thought it might be useful to new users to have a list of abbreviations. If you have any more papers to add, do feel free!

Thanks everyone!

Spare Ed

[boxtops]

The magazine available with the Kent on Sunday newspaper is another one not on the list yet - there's a prize crossword in there each week.

[adewebster]

I've not been using AB very long and I can't say that I've ever seen anyone looking for help with the Nottingham Evening Post crossword, but it may well (have) happen(ed).

Also, if you're looking to filter by particular puzzles,the Tibshelf Independent Tribune Words and Numbers Kakuro might warrant a mention ;-) (o)i(o)

(Hope that last bit doesn't get in the way of your more helpful answers!)

[Famous5]

Have you checked with the Isle of Man Tourist Board? They used to (and possibly still do) have coupons in newspapers for asking for holiday brochures.
Send to DM Kelly was in the Mail, DE Kelly was the Express, TV Kelly was television and so on. That way by keeping track of the envelopes they knew where their advertisng worked best.
Kelly from the Isle of Man was a music hall song from the early 1900s

[AB Editor]

Afternoon All,

Currently we're making this list to help out any new users who join the site work it all out.

Christiana - You may be right. This doesn't mean we can't give those new to this world a helping hand.

All the best,

Spare Ed

[AULDEN]

The Press and Journal is known as the P&J

[whitehill]

Have you missed out You magazine which comes with Mail on Sunday, or can't I see for looking

[Glaikityin]

The Dunfermline Press

[pinktwink]

what about Best and Bella they are magazines

also Full House is an english magazine not an Irish one

[pollythecat]

Will ST refer to the Sunday Telegraph or the Sunday Times?

[gen2]

Or 'Sunday Trubune' polly.

[dwil]

agree with kakuro 1 - limit the list to national publications. The odd local one can always give the full title.

[AB Editor]

This sounds fair.

Thanks for your input!

All the best,

Spare Ed

[grasscarp]

Unless I am missing something I cannot see the point of this. A crossword solution needs the clue, number of letters and any that the asker has. Getting them to put this in his half the battle. I rarely buy any newspapers and personally couldnt care less what paper or magazine the question is from.

[squarebear]

I have to agree. If the clue is "Fiery ball in the sky(3) S??" then I don't see why knowing what crossword it comes from will help. Plus not everyone is going to remember a huge stack of acronyms.

[kayakamina]

I think the point of naming the publication is that it makes using the search facility easier.

If the correct heading is entered then, rather than opening a new post with a question already answered, a check in the search should reveal any other posts for that publication.

[squarebear]

But people post crossword questions all over the place. There were even some in insurance! To expect them to put the correct abbreviation is unrealistic.

[grasscarp]

I noticed just now Squarebear that someone had asked an answer and carefully said Today's Times and even the clue number but no clue.
The AB Editor cannot put in simple instructions, on the page, about how to lay out the question so I think they are in the process of putting the cart before the horse right now.

[squarebear]

Exactly, All that is needed is the FULL clue, how many letters it is and whether they have any filled in. To know it's from The Little Snoring Evening Gazette is pointless.

[grasscarp]

It seems that people dont use the search facility at all. Many times I do a check search and answer it for them when they could have done it themselves. Also, especially at the weekend, you get a question asked when if they had just looked at the page they are on it is already answered a couple of times!

[magicmerlin]

Spare Ed - The Saturday Yorkshire Post does not exist. It is The Yorkshire Post with a Saturday supplement. They also publish The Evening Post.

There is also a Telegraph & Argus in Bradford.