Listener 4154: Downsizing by Dilwitch

[midazolam]

Another debut! I am usually not one for Listener's where there's no PDM etc but I enjoyed this one. Difficulty enhanced by the difference in definition and wordplay together with some tough clues.

Good clues were the & lit in 16A, the clever wordplay in 7D and excellent 1A. I also liked the new usage of waterboard in 38A

Less favourable clues were the odd 28D (wordplay being the whole clue and definition being only half - just doesnt work), 11A (definition veering away from BRB - although given my avatar..say no more!) and the obscurities in 15A (capitalisation & random made up word)

Overall a fun, challenging debut. Thanks Dilwitch

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[midazolam]

I take back the 28D clue (soemwhat), looking in BRB I can see where Dilwitch was coming from. However if the clue was simply GRASS it would be more impressive and work better. I will await the backlash from the Ximeneans!

[starwalker]

I felt that this was one of those puzzles that benefited the setter more than the solver. Once started, the novelty quickly wore off, but then, each to his own. On the whole, left me feeling rather cool (or should that be col).

[emcee]

A pleasant romp through the clues in the House of Ale; a few answers to check in the BRB now I'm back. I enjoyed it!

Thanks Dilwitch.

[BlackHugh]

I have by no means finished this yet - although I am enjoying it. I just wanted to report that Amazon have just delivered my copy of the 2011 BRB!

[Zabadak]

Indeed a pleasant romp, with no complaints. I thought having both the full length and the grid entry length available made life easier, though I suspect some clues might have become unsolvable/contentious otherwise.
And with a "Hi!" to BlackHugh, how galling is it to have 18 only in earlier editions of BRB and (presumably) not in your brand new one!
Blessings to all who dwell here.

[Ruthrobin]

I thought this was a fine original romp. What an achievement for Dilwitch to make every clue conform to his system. For once, it became easier as I progressed. A splendid debut, thanks, Dilwitch, with none of last week's hard work out once the grid was completed in order to find those last two letters.

[AndrewG-S]

Yes a fun puzle so many thanks. Shame not to have a bit of a PDM at the end though.

[dr b]

Didn't expect to be checking in today as I spent the afternoon driving up to see my dad. But I got most done before I left and finished the rest here. Nice puzzle despite the low degree of difficulty. I liked 37a once the Wiki expained it to me.

And did no one notice all Four of the Fab Ones in the clues?

[trux]

Indeed, Dr B - I did spot the 'pudlians and was half expecting an Easter Egg in the completed grid to go with them ... but none has come to my light. Am two-thirds through, in Athens airport lounge, and no BRB, and really rather enjoying it.... Thanks, Dilwitch (any guesses how he/she chose that pseudonym ?) And I add my blessings to one & all ... (Note to AG-S & RR, back home later hopefully - I hope you've done your homework !)

[BlackHugh]

Well I'm sorry to report that in the new BRB the appendices have been decimated (to no discernable purpose) - even the first names section has gone. There are 2 extra sections in the middle "The Word Lover's Miscellany", containing things like "43 words with pleasing sounds" and ,possibly more relevant here, "A Wordgame Companion" with e.g. "Less obvious 3 letter words".

[silversolver]

Yes, relatively straightforward but a nice idea and a tour de force of construction. Would have been improved by some sort of endgame. However, certainly more enjoyable than the rugby which I endured whilst completing this puzzle...

[borealis]

This one got me up early on a Saturday to finish it, so it must’ve been good. Thanks, Dilwitch. There were a lot of fun clues here - a nice mix of difficulty including three where I’m still confirming the wordplay, but I haven’t yet found 18 in either of my earlier BRBs.

Dr B, I agree. 37a had me laughing, and I looked for a Beatles-type pdm in the grid. Have to disagree with Midazolam though: didn’t like the definition for 16a, but very much enjoyed the one in 11a, although it did elicit a groan.

Maybe someone has already pointed it out, but the new variant of Quinapalus, called Qat, is very powerful. It is good for those of us who like logic/computing/spreadsheets, but don’t go there if you think of computerised aids as cheating.

It’s at:
http://www.quinapalus.com/cgi-bin/qat

[dead-eye]

I noticed today's race got a mention. Hope I'm not giving anything away by suggesting a small investment on Masked Marvel. Should be worth ten bob each way.

[aldanna]

I am enjoying "sedately solving" my way through this one, in the intervals allowed me by the rest of life. Obviously no pdm to excite one, but on the other hand, no getting stuck on the final stages of the endplay either (as last week for me).

[cluelessJoe]

Thanks for the tip dead-eye ... shame I only just got to see it, about 10 minutes after the race finished.

[contendo]

A romp is not what I'd call it and I still have 5 clues to go. I marvel at the mental gymnastics required to construct a crossword along these lines. However some of the cluing seems a little laboured, notably 40a which doesn't seem to have an adequate definition, but maybe I'm missing something.

[borealis]

Look at your first letter, contendo - I fell into a trap on that one.

[contendo]

Thanks Borealis, that was close! I'm now there apart from 38a - can't make out where the definition lies. I thought 20a was a bit of lark (so to speak).

[Clamzy]

Another impressive Listener debut for which thanks are due to Dilwitch. This has been a good year for quality puzzles from new setters and I look forward to more of the same.
I found this one to be quite a challenge and like borealis have still some wordplays to figure out. This was a delight to all those of us who enjoy wordplay in all its forms.

[IainGrace]

Afraid we are finding this a bit of a dull mechanical plod with no reward at the end.
Finished 4153. If it helps, "untouched" entries excludes the 15 modified, the 5 modified, the 17 extra word clues and the entries with circled cells, so there is not much left to choose from for the two letter alteration.