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Listener 4172: Fruitless Effort by Hypnos
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I found this to be a somewhat difficult puzzle with very competent clueing, clever concealment of many of the misprints and a nice theme. Thanks, Hypnos.
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Impressive speed, Mr B69 ... started late but have quote and source with only half of grid filled (the RH side, which I suspect is where most people will find it easier to break in). More later, hopefully : too early for unadulterated praise as finding quality of clues to be variable - some excellent, some less so.
One of those that needed a bit of sleeping on it to come together properly - I was too much otherwise occupied to complete by midnight this week, and like dr b found it took ages to make the first, rather tentative grid entry which is still the one I don't fully understand even if it can't be anything else.
Especially with the short words there is plenty of room for error, not least because Hypnos is (I hope!) very oblique sometimes. This led me, at one point, to think the quotation omitted everything except the first couple of words, since my (plausible) alternative letters didn't fit anything I recognised from my schoolday remembrance of the theme.
Really good crossword, lots of PDM's, proper Listener fun.
Especially with the short words there is plenty of room for error, not least because Hypnos is (I hope!) very oblique sometimes. This led me, at one point, to think the quotation omitted everything except the first couple of words, since my (plausible) alternative letters didn't fit anything I recognised from my schoolday remembrance of the theme.
Really good crossword, lots of PDM's, proper Listener fun.
Some very tight clues with far from obvious misprints: I, too, took a long time to get started. A few lucky breaks between 6d and 20d allowed me a stab at the theme, and that helped a lot. I was glad the second word of the quotation had not been applied as thoroughly to the omitted word as it might have been, so an easy final stage.
I agree with all the above. A tough one to get started on and even when that was achieved there was much clue staring and multiple methods of solving them used before progress was enough to get the quote, the task then becoming easier.
And all with a busted up back lying prone in bed, with my son obeying all commands and demands for reference books and food. Poor blighter.
And all with a busted up back lying prone in bed, with my son obeying all commands and demands for reference books and food. Poor blighter.
Like others found the clueing pretty tough. Always more of a challenge when the misprints are not restricted to the definition. Grid completed and all misprints justified, now just onto the final highlighting.
Think we should start a Saturday club reserved to those like me who depend on a hard copy of the Times ?
Think we should start a Saturday club reserved to those like me who depend on a hard copy of the Times ?
Tilbee – As a purchaser of the newspaper I support the idea of a Saturday club although I don’t think I’ll be joining today.
In the “good old days” I’m sure misprints were restricted to the definition. In my opinion allowing misprints anywhere in the clue verges on being unfair to the solver, unless there is some balance e.g. half in the definition, half elsewhere. I would certainly draw the line at anagrams that contain a misprint – disguise the indicator by all means but don’t expect the solver to rearrange multiple sets of letters until they chance on the solution.
In the “good old days” I’m sure misprints were restricted to the definition. In my opinion allowing misprints anywhere in the clue verges on being unfair to the solver, unless there is some balance e.g. half in the definition, half elsewhere. I would certainly draw the line at anagrams that contain a misprint – disguise the indicator by all means but don’t expect the solver to rearrange multiple sets of letters until they chance on the solution.
Excellent - that's more like the Listeners of years gone by.
Tough clueing (like most people I struggled for a good while before the first 100% certain cold solve) - then a grid fill which, although getting easier as it progressed, didn't roll over & give up its secrets too easily.
The final highlighting was outside my (limited) knowledge of the subject, but easy enough with a bit of googling.
Best for a while - thanks Hypnos
Tough clueing (like most people I struggled for a good while before the first 100% certain cold solve) - then a grid fill which, although getting easier as it progressed, didn't roll over & give up its secrets too easily.
The final highlighting was outside my (limited) knowledge of the subject, but easy enough with a bit of googling.
Best for a while - thanks Hypnos
Yeah! I'm there too. Unlike Trux, I filled the left side first; the last for me to decipher was the top right corner (this after getting the thematics finished). The long but strangely amenable 5d was especially fun, I found. Anyone else see a wonderful 'ambiguity' for the misprinted letter's location - which makes potential sense in either of the positions?
Given that I bought the paper this morning, and was out from 8 until 2pm, I think this makes me an honorary 'Friday Club' member too, perhaps? I'd like to think so.
Given that I bought the paper this morning, and was out from 8 until 2pm, I think this makes me an honorary 'Friday Club' member too, perhaps? I'd like to think so.
