Hot Trod

I was outraged to find that the word “trod” is not permitted in The Times’ Polygon puzzle. They allow ridiculous non-words like “lite” but refuse perfectly good words.

But these pages are not about empty gestures. Oh no. And so I have written to the editor of The Times to complain.

It might be that the editorial staff at The Times think that there are more pressing matters of national moment, such that my letter may not make the cut. Hedging against this possibility, I set it out here:

Dear Sir,

For decades, my forebears in Northumberland (including the Fenwicks) were permitted to chase thieves from Scotland (including the Elliotts) over the border, by a system known as “hot trod”, and thereby hopefully recover their stolen livestock.

This morning, I note that the word “trod” is not permitted in The Times’ Polygon puzzle.

These days, we live in less troubled times, and are able to satisfy our fighting spirit in a game of croquet. As croquet players will know, the opening shot in a game of croquet is known as the “tice”.

“Tice” is not permitted in the Polygon puzzle either.

Yours faithfully,

Robert Fenwick Elliott

I know a little of these matters, having stood on the top of the Peel Tower at Bitchfield in Northumberland, which used to belong to my great etc grandfather Sir Roger Fenwick (Bitchfield, that is, not Northumberland), and looked out at the Cheviots, from where the Scottish Raiders would have come. And I used to play a bit of competitive croquet.  Never very successfully. But I did once win Victor Harbor open doubles championship, with Jim Curtis.