Listener 4041: Motley Collection by Merlin

[midazolam]

Before my time, Merlin's last effort was "Olde Treasure Hunt" in 2006 and won the Listener's gold cup that year

I bet we are in for a toughie!

Anyone who wants a copy email: [e-mail]

[midazolam]

Listener 3654 - 26/01/2002 - Royal Flush

[Mysterons]

Yes, I second (third?) that - your memory is better than mine Clamzy !

[Clamzy]

Thanks to both of you - doesn't time fly?

[shelouse]

Ruthrobin, thanks. I tried looking it up the other way round with no result and had metaphorically gone back to the drawing board.

[Cruncher]

The "Old Treasure Hunt" scuppered a promising all-correct run for me a couple of years ago so I was a little nervous when I saw this. Unnecessarily so. I spotted the adjustment to the across answers pretty quickly, considered ships in trouble for a while and then recognised the real theme. I too was surprised by one or two of the missing diminutives in the down answers and got stuck on some of the answers in the bottom half for a while. But all done and dusted now. I feel that there has been an absence of real stinkers so far this year - certainly nothing as tough as the Yeats puzzle last year or the Digonal. I wonder what's in store....

[ziller]

We must be due a gardening-themed puzzle from Dipper any week now!

[midazolam]

i agree cruncher - not having much trouble this year compared with a good half dozen tough solving efforts / leap of faith denouements last year

for me they were (off the top of my head):

Mercury's Whereabouts by Dysart
Collusion by The Magpie
Argentum by Radix
10 by 8
Lip service by Sabre
Wild Goose Chase by Tea Leaves
Conflict Resolution by Kea

[midazolam]

not to say they were the best, only that they all took longer than anything this year

[robinruth]

I think that you speedy solvers are simply becoming extremely competent at solving and that, consequently, for you, puzzles are easier. You don't recognise that you have changed. For relative newcomers, some of the ones we have had recently, like the maze, are nightmares, and lots take most of the week. Yet even I realise that experience renders the solving easier as time passes.

[shelouse]

I agree with Robinruth.

I was lucky enough to win a prize last year, and it has helped me considerably since: I can thoroughly recommend it to any solvers who don't have it, though the obvious dilemma is that you will win one shortly after buying it.

Also, various posts on this site have taught me the importance of milking the preamble for everything you can get, and meticulous accuracy.....eg not leaving empty cells etc when copying into the original grid.
And do you all remember the Lord of the Rings puzzle a few years ago when so many were penalised for using the wrong colour highlighting?

[jacinth]

I too agree with robinruth. I've been trying these for a year or so now and the success rate is climbing slowly but surely, but I'm a long way from 100%...
This was my first success since 'Playtime' - although some blind-solving was required, the clueing was very fair (and far easier than many of the puzzles in this week's Independent). 22d was my last answer too.
I still struggle with blind solving when extra letters are involved in wordplay and definitions, and that is a very common feature of Listeners - that's the next nut to crack!

[Clamzy]

Of course I would agree with robinruth that experience helps enormously. However after xty years of doing the Listener I fear I shall never join the all corrects, and I'm far from a speedy solver - Sunday afternoon being my average.
That said midazolam is quite correct in comparing recent puzzles to previous harder ones.

[robinruth]

Having prompted that discussion, I have downloaded the next one and, for once, am excitedly just slotting in the answers - it's a wonderful new experience. Anyone who needs a copy can email me at [e-mail] (of course, it will certainly become difficult at some stage.