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Listener Crossword no. 4193 Taste and Fancy by Radix
53 Answers
I'm doing this now because that makes me the question author for the first ever time! I thought this would be tricky, but looking at the way the across answers are unfurling, I might be on to something already. I haven't finished it, in fact have only got 4 across and 1 down solved, but hey - I'm the author!
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Excellent crossword, and quite a challenge. The latest PDM (yes there might still be some more) came to me 5 hours after completing the crossword whilst mowing the lawn. It seems a shame to think that some people may have sent off a correct solution without having grasped every nuance. Has anyone fully understood the title yet....not that I have given it too much thought?
After a day of staring at my completed grid hoping for inspiration, eventually this evening a feasible statement emerged. Although it seemed plausible I couldn't convince myself that it was correct. Only after googling did my PDM arrive, and now I feel a fool for not figuring it out unaided. D'oh! So I for one am at least as dumb as you, tilbee.
I thought this was a slog, though that's a view partly influenced having to do it in discrete bits in a messy weekend. An awful lot of variables in the cluing and (especially) in the alternatives for the changed letters in the across words where, as far as I could tell, only one resulted in a single letter alternative. As well as the correct (and, ok, yes, amusing) answer. there were several possible collections of words which a fool in his cups might burble, and there was the temptation to stop there, thinking you had AN answer - and you all know how I feel about that!
Accepted the "person" was almost a gimme, and I had no chance with many of the clues until I was able to reverse engineer: the down wrong letter words were easy enough with an electric dictionary. Possibly because of the requirements of the "wrong" letters, I thought many of the clues were a long stretch. And i've tried a few permutations on the title without joy. Not a big fan, I'm afraid. Sorry.
Accepted the "person" was almost a gimme, and I had no chance with many of the clues until I was able to reverse engineer: the down wrong letter words were easy enough with an electric dictionary. Possibly because of the requirements of the "wrong" letters, I thought many of the clues were a long stretch. And i've tried a few permutations on the title without joy. Not a big fan, I'm afraid. Sorry.
I am finding this really tough, but shall continue to plod. I recognise the title (and if it indeed proves to be a reference to what I think it might be, I will be delighted). So far in the dark, however, bar a (very)probable "person" (and that, only courtesy of what I'm hoping are a few giveaway letters in the handful of across clues I have). At least threads like this give some comfort that it's not completely impossible.
I am still working on this one. I have a full grid, but so far the statement eludes me. I think I have 4 words, but maybe not as the other one doesn't seem to work. I think I must revisit 12 after some of the comments here, as I'm not totally convinced by what I have there so far. It strikes me that you don't necessarily need to understand all the changes in the down clues, or show that you have the words, though I do have some of them. Oh well, back to Ukraine and Sweden.
I thought this had me beaten - couldn't see any 5 word phrase for the across clues however hard I looked. But hey presto - by working backwards (!!) from last word managed to sort it out. What an excellent puzzle - especialy with no headscratching at the end wondering what to highlight.
Can we have more like this ?
Can we have more like this ?
Late to this one after being busy for the weekend (could really have done with this one last week with a long weekend to fill rather than last week's puzzle which was all over in a flash). A real challenge with some extremely tortuous clueing, a fine construction and an enjoyable denouement. One of the hardest for quite a while but very satisfying. Many thanks, Radix.
I have finally got it and followed Tilbee's advice. Nice one! My main problem was that I had omitted one possibility for alternative letters, and also that I had incorrectly surmised the final word. I haven't entirely worked out the down clues misprints, but know what I am looking for, and will get round to it.
Late starting and a bit of a slog to be honest - tend to agree rather with Zabadak that the requirements of the misprints made some of the clueing a bit loose (really not convinced by the definition in 29d).
Having used a combination of the Chambers app on my iPod and the Quinapalus word matcher to sort a lot of the possibilities for misprints, I'm quailing at the concept of anyone doing it by hand - a very painful process I'd think.
Having used a combination of the Chambers app on my iPod and the Quinapalus word matcher to sort a lot of the possibilities for misprints, I'm quailing at the concept of anyone doing it by hand - a very painful process I'd think.
This was an absolute delight for me.
A real slog which, when I started, I attributed to my fevered state as I'm currently down with a nasty chest infection. But I began to realise that this puzzle is just plain tough.
Some clever interpretation required, which often came only when the answer was apparent. I'm never quite sure about that.
One tiny, tiny quibble ...
... doesn't 16ac work perfectly well without a misprint?
A real slog which, when I started, I attributed to my fevered state as I'm currently down with a nasty chest infection. But I began to realise that this puzzle is just plain tough.
Some clever interpretation required, which often came only when the answer was apparent. I'm never quite sure about that.
One tiny, tiny quibble ...
... doesn't 16ac work perfectly well without a misprint?
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