A Birthday -A-B-C(E-F) By Kevgar

[AHearer]

I enjoyed that (I had a slight sense of deja vu over the theme, but if I'm right I hope nobody will give the details until after the closing date). I did it in rather an odd order. With about half the clues done I made a stab at the theme, did the arithmetic from which I got a member of the second series I'd not yet guessed and the initial letters of the extra words (by coincidence I had solved hardly any of the clues with superfluous words by then), and then it was an easy trot to the end. Thanks to KevGar for an entertaining puzzle.

[starwalker]

I could have cried when I read the preamble, but being a brave little soldier I simply ignored it and piled in. A pleasant surprise to find it was not nearly so difficult. Thanks KevGar for the enlightenment and for your generosity.

[trux]

Yes, "pear crumble" looks daunting but in fact there are so many hints as to what you are looking for that you stumble across them almost as quickly as you solve the clues. As you say, one must thank KevGar for his generosity in this respect. A brief entertainment, nicely put together. Thanks to KG.

[Ruthrobin]

Yes, our experience echoed AHearer's. Enjoyed every minute of this one. It was nowhere near so daunting as it looked at first when we saw that we were possibly in numerical mode again.

[trux]

Did others spot a thematic opportunity that KG seems to have missed? (And I'm not sure why he - or the editors - would have done so...)

[Ruthrobin]

Yes indeed and wondered whether it was a deliberate omission - and why!

[lyrabelacqua]

Nice, but not very taxing. The weekend is free!

[jim360]

The answer to that might lie in the manner in which the thematic numbers are generated? Could be impossible, though hard to prove that.

Almost at the end of this one. Once things clicked it fell apart nicely.

[emcee]

Enjoyed it, but clues on the easyish side. Still, I now know a bit more about the second series.

Thanks, KevGar.

[BobHWW]

Agree with all the above. Only seven extra words in the clues, no misprints and almost no grid staring - heaven! Thank you KevGar.

[perseverer]

Yes - entertaining and a little different.

[Cagey]

Try again, in correct thread... A nice puzzle, enjoyed completing in the relative quiet of parents house, free of children.

[AHearer]

Yes, I suppose B+C+E could easily have gone in. I wonder why not?

[contendo]

I think the theme has been used before, but this was nicely constructed. I thought the final expression was going to be a nightmare but it turned out to be very straightforward.

[olichant]

Coincidences are funny things - for me, the pdm occurred at a time when I - actually, best say no more for fear of giving anything away. Suffice to say I was more than slightly shaken (in a good way!). Thanks KevGar - a fun puzzle.

[borealis]

Multiple ways to find things, minimum internet (zero if you are familiar) and overall, great fun. Some of you might find this too easy? I like it! Thanks, Kevgar.

[aldanna]

I found this very easy, but entertaining, although I could not have done it without the internet. I outsourced the final expression - unnecessarily - as Contendo says, it was far from taxing. I couldn't find this thread yesterday evening (shortly after it was opened) and considered starting one, but had no idea how to do so. It was only Jim's post on the other short thread that helped me to find this today.

[AHearer]

Sorry, Aldanna: it was stupid of me to omit the "Listener 4288" from the title of the thread.

[borealis]

Jim360, did you mean in the way the expression was to be generated? If so, I think -A+B-C/(-D+E)+F does it. Curious, either way.

[Contrarian]

As Alekhine would say, zzzzzz.

[IainGrace]

Agreed it is entertaining, but clues (including those with extra words) sufficiently easy that the answers to the numeric clues are a giveaway.

Just got last year's stats. 41 entries but an appalling number of errors. Must check more scrupulously before submission. The fault of I, not G, I hasten to add.