Listener Crossword 4079

[starwalker]

This week's offering is Sine Qua Non by Shackleton.
No one should panic that I have finished it already - I've only just read the preamble and feel the need for a lie down in a darkened room.
No doubt it will all make sense in the end. I have always found Shackleton to be sometimes tough, but always fair. Let's hope that this does not prove me wrong.

[Ruthrobin]

pcrabtree - have you looked up your five letter word in Chambers? I think that eye-opener is a hint right from the start. Any more in the preamble would be over-icing the cake, I believe. I thought this one was fairly flawless.

[catstail]

Daag and Andrew - thank you for the hints. Trust me to miss the hidden clue!

[me99]

I agree with PCRABTREE - there must be several answers to the "consistent rendition". Why ddn't Shackleton give the puzzle the title "H" instead of "Sine Qua Non", which would take away all ambiguity?

[midazolam]

"must" is not so me99. there is only one rendition in relation to the previous element of the theme

[daagg]

Whoa, that's confused me! Where did 'H' come from??

[Zabadak]

Isn't the title rhythmically relevant?

[Jogler]

Golly gosh.... 5 pages already. We haven't dared look at the thread until making some progress but we are limping along in an semi-convincing fashion and wanted to catch up with all the news! Very Many Congratulations to Mid and Mrs Mid on your little cluelet (how wonderful to have a graduate near [4] - apologies, rubbish at these things). I am only scanning the rest of the thread very lightly so that we can continue with the pdm's. We are in the position of having had a few - but not in the right order (as someone earlier also said). Back to the coal face tomorrow.

[me99]

Daagg, "H" is a relevant part of the questioner, I think...

[daagg]

me99, I agree that 'H' is part of the questioner, but I'm not sure it's an important part.

Zab, you explanation of the title is the only one I have thought of so far, but it doesn't seem completely convincing.

[Clamzy]

Let's see if I've got this sorted. The title means essential. Setters often use this to indicate the middle letter(s) of a word. Therefore in the questioner's name H comes between the red stuff and the cooker.... Oh dear this is harder than the puzzle:-)

[Zabadak]

Clamzy: I think the "key information" bit is the overriding consideration (perhaps even the sine qua non!) for this final transform. You clearly have the correct questioner's name, and therefore understand the key information that goes with the locus citatus of his question. The adjusted upper line is a representation of the questioner at his most iconic, and its "key information" slots neatly into the space occupied by the previous one, leaving still, as indicated, two real word entries.
Daag, I conjecture that the final reveals are the "sine qua non" of the questioner, as in Great Expectations being "the essential Dickens".

[Zabadak]

Could I echo the comments of others, and my original WOW, with my observation that this puzzle, with its density, long series of PDM's, the sense of excitement as something you can't believe he's achieved comes into view, and the consistency and excellent surface readings of the clues (even when under the severe strains imposed by the load the unadjusted ones have to bear) make this one of the finest examples of the Listener artform for some considerable time. The same compiler's Much Ado about Nothing (4031) is the nearest I can recall for excitement in the past year or so.

[Zabadak]

Daagg: a further conjecture. The questioner's own answer could well be interpreted as at least analogous to "Sine Qua Non". There's quite a lot of interesting stuff about this on the interweb. I wouldn't put it past Shackleton to have "all of the above" in mind when he set the title. Incidently, if Monkmonk is Shackleton's alias here, and his heartfelt plea not to give anything away is a compiler's cri de coeur, apologies if we have revealed too much: I hope we have merely given encouragement on a fascinating voyage of discovery.

[daagg]

Zab, I like your suggestion that the title reflects the questioner's own answer. I'm also comfortable that none of the comments here could help anyone who wasn't on the verge of finding their way to the next PDM. I think Shackleton should be pleased that a few more people are able to admire his genius!

[Clamzy]

Zab - Sorry if I misled you. I was being a bit flippant about the H raised earlier. In fact I solved the puzzle on Saturday and like you am very impressed.
To someone who was there at the time (WW2) it was very familiar on the radio each night prior to the coded messages transmitted to Europe.

[shelouse]

What a wonderful puzzle, but what a struggle - just look at the length of this thread. Thanks, Shackleton.

And many congratulations, midazolam.

[Zabadak]

Clamzy: touche! I trust between us we have helped others to the final denoument without too much confusion. I loved the red stuff bit - almost a disguise!

[Jogler]

A fantastic puzzle which left us rhapsodic over Shackleton's ability to create something that makes the Energizer Bunny look like a very poor relation.

[tringyokel]

Hi. I'm new here so I hope you don't mind if I join in. I haven't been attempting the Listener over the last few years. Some time back, though, I did manage to enter 17 in one year.

This one really has me hooked. I have almost three quarter of the grid completed. My problems are in the bottom right hand corner. Any suggestions on which clues to concentrate on (those that don't involve obscure words)?

Reading the thread I think I have the questioner and one version of the question. I might have the four elements but I'm not sure. I'm hoping that completing more of the grid will help.

Oh, although I'm a newcomer, congratulations midazolam.

[Zabadak]

Hi tringyokel - I'm a relative newcomer myself, but welcome to the family. It might help to know that most of the entries in the bottom right are quite common words, and it helps a lot to use what you already have of the corrected letters: it looks as though you're close enough either to know, or guess, what the instruction generated by the across clues says. Use that to work out what words need to be corrected, and the clues become easier.
With the Listener, it helps to have a searchable dictionary - I use Chambers CD version, worth its weight in Listener grids!
As will be clear from the posts, we reckon this is a real good'un, well worth persevering with. And congrats on 17 in one year.