I have been wondering for a while whether to start compiling a list of words and phrases that began life with a technical meaning in one sphere or another (chemistry, medicine, mathematics, the law, cricket, linguistics, sailing or whatever) but which along the way have taken on quite a different meaning that has gained general acceptance. They are words and phrases that always produce explosions of indignant rage from the experts, when used in crosswords in the vulgar (ie non-technical) sense. When, in my August blog, I used the phrase "accelerated exponentially" I was roundly abused by correspondents from here to New Zealand and back for demonstrating such a woeful lack of basic mathematical understanding. I admit that it not a particularly elegant phrase but I have support for the view that, for non-mathematicians, it now also means accelerating faster and faster.

So I am indebted to dor35, a regular commentator on our website, for warning me in advance of the barrage that will descend, if I let through the phrase 'quantum jump', used in its non-scientific sense. Of course, as every schoolchild knows, in physics a quantum jump is something pretty small, being the abrupt transition of an electron, atom or molecule from one quantum state to another, either absorbing or emitting in the process a quantum (and that a quantum is a quantity of energy). However, I am prepared to go to the stake to uphold the belief that a quantum jump also means the same as a quantum leap and that both can mean a sudden, very large increase or advance of any kind in any field.

C.P. Snow, the scientist and novelist, in his 1959 Rede Lecture at Cambridge University, which he entitled The Two Cultures, argued that the whole of western civilisation was split between the sciences and the humanities and that this was a major obstacle to progress. Clearly "exponential acceleration" and "quantum leaps" mean different things to different people in different contexts, so providing sport for those of a pedantic disposition. But I am blowed if I can see why this should matter in the least, or affect what goes on in crosswords.

A similar problem with indignant complaints arises when solvers rely on pocket dictionaries for the definition of a word. "I must protest," wrote Sad Person from Reading last month, "that one of the clues in today's quick crossword [No 13,562 for 26 October, 9 across] was quite wrong … the clue was 'Held in high regard' and the answer REPUTED. My dictionary states that 'reputed' is 'what is generally thought or supposed'. Somebody could be reputed to be held in high regard but the word doesn't mean 'to be held in high regard'. Sorry to sound so pedantic but I enjoy having a go at the crossword and mistakes like that can put a 'sad person' like me off the scent!"

The first meaning of REPUTE in most dictionaries (and the only one in the smaller ones) is, certainly, "general opinion or impression", but Chambers gives also "widespread or high estimation; fame" and the Oxford Dictionary of English also gives "the state of being highly regarded; fame". Under REPUTED, Chambers gives "of repute" (as in "a gentleman of repute") and the ODE gives "widely known and well-thought of" (as in "cooked by reputed chefs"). I think that the second (and even third) meanings of plain words are fair game in Guardian Quicks.

It is confusing, I know, because all the online Guardian and Observer crossword puzzles appear together online. But I am in fact only responsible for the Guardian puzzles (Quick, Cryptic, Saturday prize, Quiptic and Genius) and know nothing about the online versions of the puzzles published each Sunday in the Observer (Speedy, Everyman and Azed). The Observer has its own crossword editor. So sending emails to crossword.editor@theguardian.com regarding a problem with or question about, say, the Observer Everyman puzzle is unlikely to be effective. The Observer person in charge of crosswords is Edie Reilly and her email is crossword.editor@observer.co.uk. I do forward to Edie emails addressed to me by mistake, but tend not to see them on a Sunday as that is the one day of the week when I get out of bed in the morning buoyed up by the assumption that there can be no rude messages or complaints from solvers about Guardian puzzles for me to deal with until the morrow.
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The October Genius (No 124 by Picaroon) attracted 206 entries, 19 of them on the first day. First in was Tony (of demon.co.uk) at 1:36 and first from abroad was Maurice in France at 12:06. Congratulations to Tom Irving from Hertfordshire, who is the winner of our September Genius puzzle (No 123).
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