Listener 4259: Redraw By Nod

[emcee]

A quickly filled grid but the endgame is proving elusive. Let the head-scratching begin...

[jim360]

Grid-staring complete, all sorted I hope. Not being familiar with the source material meant that I could only find the thematic references after I'd solve the puzzle, but that's probably just as well as it might have given the game away a bit too quickly.

Very nice puzzle from Nod.

[starwalker]

Also unfamiliar with the thematic material. A full grid and the statement to deal with. Think I will leave it until tomorrow. Too tired at the moment for staring.

[olichant]

I agree - gridfill was quick, and the endgame took some time before the penny dropped. Some fun clues, I thought, and a neat, very clean, construction. Thanks, Nod.

[olichant]

And what a neat title...

[dr b]

I'm usually horrible at these grid staring when you don't know what you're staring for endgames, so I feel pretty good about getting it as fast as I did (which was not that fast). Easyish grid fill but a very clever endgame.

[Contrarian]

Yes, grid fill rather too easy. I think that if the format is not carte blanche, the clues need to be harder than this.

[Simplex]

Fairly easy gridfill. I guessed early on how I should have to change the grid, but couldn't see what. Got one hint from the clues, ashamedly without seeing the others until I got down to the specifics. Strangely satisfying puzzle, but annoyed I took so long, because I've been studyng a related item. Thanks, Nod.

[trux]

Out on town last night so only printed this off this morning - and all wrapped up in under an hour which is near record time for a Big L. That said, I liked it: some neat (if not overly taxing) clues and a clever, unambiguous endgame that ties all the threads together...so many thanks to Nod.

[emcee]

Inspiration finally came last night but I've no idea what the hints are. It seems that if you don't know the theme then the hints (wherever they are) are redundant. So now to Google to tie up the loose ends.

[emcee]

... ah, yes, I see now.

[starwalker]

How simple and elegant in the end. Thanks Nod.

[IainGrace]

Very good and well constructed. Figured what it was about as soon as we had most of the statement, so we managed to polish it off fairly quickly. Surprised that the material is unfamiliar to some.

[Mesnilpat]

Like others, I found the gridfill fairly straightforward and am familiar with what I assume to be the theme. As usual I am being dense and can't see the endgame - yet. I'm sure it will be blindingly obvious once the penny drops. I'll look again later.

[aldanna]

Despite a late start I managed to finish this last night, greatly helped by a correct guess as to the endgame. Not hard, but quite fun.

[Scorpius]

Pretty straightforward, but a nice puzzle nevertheless. I saw immediately how to interpret the statement and one clue gave me all I needed for the final bit. I've since spotted three other relevant clues, but I didn't need them. There may be more.
I'm pretty sure the theme's been done in a previous Listener but I wouldn't swear to it.

33 strikes me as totally faulty. I could only get it to work by doing some juggling of word order in addition to removal of a word. I wonder if it's the result of some printing error, or have the rules governing this type of clue changed?

[dr b]

33 seems fine to me; at least, clues of this ilk, sort, or type have been appearing in Azed and Mephisto regularly for the past few years.

[tilbee]

Scorpius I do not see any issue with 33 as published. Found this a very quick gridfill and one clue is particular had already given me a very good idea of what to look for in the end game once I got to this, so no grid staring required for once. A very elegant if somewhat easy puzzle, thanks to Nod.

[IainGrace]

Would have been better if the rubric hadn't referred to there being hints in the clues. For those familiar with the source material, that tips the balance from middling difficulty to really very straightforward.

[Scorpius]

Re 33, in clues of this type the word 'this', 'such' or similar is normally placed next to the defining word or phrase (surely it has to be for the clue to work, otherwise what is 'this' indicating?). In the clue in question 'this' is nowhere near the defining word or phrase even after removal of the extra word.

If there's nothing wrong with the clue then my understanding of this type of clue gleaned from Ximenes, Don Manley et al, and from examples solved over the years, must be wrong. Whether I'm wrong or not I have never seen one that's like the one presented here.

[tilbee]

Scorpius, I still think the clue works if you treat "This" as a demonstrative pronoun rather than as an adjective though I must confess I am not familiar with the guidelines you refer to.