Listener 3989

[cruciverbali]

This week's puzzle is Key:Cutting by Lavatch

[cluelessJoe]

... yes just realised that Flocko. Still don't like it

[Scorpius]

37 across. I realise now that the clue is intended as an &lit, hence the question mark. As such I think it's rather neat. I've also found one of the definitions that I thought was dubious is confirmed in Chambers, so I don't think there's a lot to complain about. The plethora of proper nouns is forgiveable given the complexities of engineering the denouement. It's a very fine puzzle.

[Flocko]

CluelessJ, nor me, but I think it's pretty much an established convention by now.

[Scorpius]

I cannot see a problem with the use of 'he's' to mean 'he has'. 'He's got' means, 'He has got'. Crossword clues often depend on these deceptions and ambiguities, with nouns appearing to be verbs, 's appearing to denote 'is' when in the cryptic reading it denotes a possessive, etc.

[cluelessJoe]

Hi Scorpius.
I have to say it is so refreshing to see debate on this board of late verging towards quibbles over linguistic niceties as opposed to some of the confrontational posts of not too many months ago (... "here's a load of answers".."you can't do that".."oh yes I can and here's a load more to prove it").
I can't dispute your defence of the clue in question - and readily admit that I was originally wrong to criticise it literally as - once the intention finally hit me - it did make some sense.
However, I stand by my original assertion that a couple of clues (at least) had poor surface reading and / or dubious cryptic credentials.
In truth, I'm just playing Devil's advocate here, in that I DID find this to be a great puzzle. My problem was that it did not give me quite the warm feeling of AGC-winning quality imparted by say "King" last year .. so I looked a little more closely at what did (slightly) disappoint me.
I can't be as totally forgiving as you (still don't like the way 37 reads even if it is an &lit), but given some offerings over recent months, this one definitely ranks high among the market leaders.
Bests
cJ

[rabet]

I think the puzzle this week is rubbish because I have so much work on that I haven't got time to do it!

[u10]

Can anyone give me a hint to find the denouement? I've spotted the 2 word phrase from the poem in one of the lines but is it the author that replaces this phrase or some other name from the poem? What then happens? Any help is much appreciated.

[jabone]

Like u10 I am stuck with the next step, and although I''ve spotted the author screaming to get out in another row of the puzzle and think I know the form of the denoument, I can't crack the code. I suspect a hint may give the game away but congratulate those who have done it.

[Rapparee]

I assume you have worked out the two-word phrase that represents the 'key'. The method used to operate one of those is the method you need to employ in order to get the two-word quotation replaced. The d�nouement will then be visible in one of the rows.

[jabone]

Wow, that's clever! Thanks Rapparee.

[cruciverbali]

Yes, another cracking puzzle in the classic Listener mould - thanks to all for your thoughts.