Listener 4223 Two Names By Verbascum

[Ruthrobin]

A Happy New Year to all. What a pleasant and gentle start to the year! The theme appeared early and we have thoroughly enjoyed this. We haven't quite finished but progress is regular and speedy.

[contendo]

It seems to me that if the few culprits could be persuaded to exchange email addresses then they could discuss things among themselves without broadcasting details to all and sundry. Would that satisfy them I wonder? I don't have access to the website, otherwise I would suggest it.

[Mesnilpat]

I have just taken a look at crossword solver and the posts are quite open in discussing the answers indeed. The rules of the forum do not seem to indicate that this is in any way prohibited. There is an opportunity to contact the editor/minder of the site. Perhaps if several people were to do this and suggest that the rules should be amended to preclude overt giving of of solutions to prize puzzles before the submission date? It probably wouldn't make a jot of difference, but just a thought.

[contendo]

Mesnilplat - The organiser is called Ash Young, email address [email protected]. I've already emailed him and await his reply with interest. Yes, a few more emails might help.

[jim360]

That's a problem on that site for all crosswords, not just the Listener. Not that this makes anything better.

On the other hand this is the Answer Bank yet there's not a single answer about a specific aspect of the puzzle itself. Just vague hints. I'm not complaining, of course - now that I've spent a lot more time here and got used to the community I can see why it's done that way and appreciate this place all the more for it. And there's always the private consulting by email where appropriate.

Anyway I've not been to the crosswordsolver site for anything other than computer-generated word lists every now and then, and don't use the forum. Let's hope that most of the Listener solvers don't touch it either.

[perseverer]

The names Answerbank and Crosswordsolver Forum give more than a clue as to why they exist - type 25364 into the search box above and you will get several direct questions/answers about last Saturday's prize Times Crossword, and the same goes for Mephisto, Azed etc etc. We see the Listener as different, but other people simply do not share that view. We cannot force others to adopt our viewpoint and the simple response would be that no-one is forcing you to look at these sites, either at all or before you have submitted your solution.
While it is true that searching the Crosswordsolver Forum itself is not easy, Google will usually succeed without any great difficulty.
Finally there are one or two people on this site who at times post on the AB Listener thread their 'clever' comments which would give away themes to anyone able to tackle Listeners in the first place.

[Cloverjo]

Well, I have(almost) completed a wordy Listener. I am thrilled. However, I am stuck on 38a. Can someone confirm that the answer is in BRB. I have 2006 ed. and can't find anything that fits in there. Thanks.
The highlight must surely be two words, doesn't it?

[perseverer]

cloverjo - the answer to 38a is in both the 2003 and 2011 editions so I would guess it is in anything in-between, but it does take a little looking for.
As to your other point, having just posted about what should or should not be put in these threads, I don't want to answer directly, but if you want contact me perseverer49(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk

[Mesnilpat]

Contendo, I have now also e-mailed Ash Young.

[Philoctetes]

That was one of the finest rubrics I can recall. I would opine that any solution entered that satisfies a sensible reading of the rubric should be acceptable.
In the continuing debate on the various standards of various boards, we should remember that there are some, JEG amongst them as I understand, who anathematise our own banter-filled nods and winks as being too much. Within even this thread are posts that, IMHO, lead people a microtad too firmly in the right direction. One person's saint is another's satan - we simply choose the right pub for us to drink in, and chat about crosswords.

[Anapice]

Cloverjo - Not sure about your "surely".
Some of the Listener blogs at:-www.listenwithothers.com (highly recommended) are written by setters. Many have been blissfully unaware of things solvers discover in their grids. If, in this case, the setter was aware of what you mentioned, it suggests sloppy grid construction. Just my two penn'orth.

[jim360]

Unless of course the possible 3 you could highlight in the 3,7 is a deliberate 3,7?

[Alekhine]

My feeling on the highlighting was that it has to be one word. That's what I went with anyway.

The preamble states "suitably highlighted" (not just "highlighted") so, if you "suitably highlighted" two words, wouldn't you have a 3,3,7?

[Cloverjo]

I agree with you all now, but who has a "suitable highlighter"?

[Alekhine]

Cloverjo,

Stabilo Boss produce a fine range of suitable highlighters (although other stationery suppliers are available). But I think 'highlighting' can generally be interpreted as 'making distinct', so a suitable pen should do the trick.

How do others highlight?

[Voulez-vous]

I have just posted this on "the other site". Apologies to anyone offended, but I stand by it. Help hurts no-one. (no-one asking for help is anywhere close in the overall league). Where's the harm?

Anyway, my post is below for full disclosure.

I'm an avid puzzler.

Seriously, any help given here usually means that the puzzler has a good grasp on the puzzle and perhaps needs a "nudge".

No-one without a grasp on cryptic, whatever help they may be given can hope to complete any of the themed puzzles, Listener included.

I know The Listener is held dear to some, and it is a competition over the whole year, but that makes it more OK the help out. I'd guess that no-one asking here for help is "elite" enough to have entered every puzzle.

Most asking for help are absolutely delighted to be "half way there".

I don't think helping is doing any harm at all. That's just my opinion, though.

[Anapice]

Voulez-vous If you search the archives back to 2007 or earlier you will find similar arguments here. Don't ask me how a site devoted to questions and answers morphed into a discussion group where giving hints is heavily frowned upon, but it did and that's where we are. We don't know of any other site where we can discuss "live" puzzles and with commendable restraint. Feelings are so strong that you will find posts appearing on your site asking for similar restraint but.........:-)

[Voulez-vous]

Anapice

It is certainly not MY site.

I am merely pointing out, that, in this case (The Listener) it does very little harm to discuss the puzzle. The attitude of some is making it elitist.

[contendo]

My objection is not to the seeking of help, which I do myself from time to time on a one-to-one basis, but to the launching of answers onto the web for all to see. It's equivalent to publishing the solution beside the original puzzle in the paper. I think the setters must find it extremely disheartening.
As for elitism, well really! How can the Listener being anything else but elitist? It's the most challenging weekly crossword, only a minority of people are capable of solving it, so by definition it must be elitist. Why is that a problem?

[Lathamjeld]

I don't have any earlier versions of Chambers and although I have a filled grid and the 3, 7 suitably highlighted I am struggling to find a way of checking my answers for 18d and 24a. I am fairly certain that I have got both from the word play but can anyone offer a private email address so I can check? Many thanks!

[olichant]

Feel free - [email protected]