Listener 4140 "Jumping to Conclusion" by Sabre

[Zabadak]

Not even close yet: I have almost all the "outside" clues and most of the ones that start on the outside, but tracking them through the knight moves is pretty desperate at the moment. I'm toying with the idea of spreadsheeting it (or just using a bigger version of the grid) and putting each letter in whatever squares the moves get to until I find some matches. Trouble is, I'm finding the "inside" clues the most adamantine. Anyone out there reporting success just yet?

[Mysterons]

It's actually a pretty straightforward grid fill once all the clues are solved without errors, but therein lies the difficulty ! With one or two missing from the centre the task becomes so much more difficult and if like me the wrong penultimate letter is chosen in 5 down .... don't go there !

[JackDeCrow]

35 was the one I had in mind, Mysterons. However, now it's my very last clue and I know what it has to start with, so I know my original theory was incorrect. In fact, I have a full grid, so I could just not bother, but that would be too annoying! 5d was one of many I was a bit unclear about, but the grid fill sorted it for me. And I still don't get the wordplay for, among others, 28d and 40a. I don't think I have any words using the same square twice, although I did for a while.

[Mysterons]

You are quite correct Jack, I was looking at a working copy, and all 3 re-visits are in fact optional - hard to avoid that I suppose.

35 was my penultimate solve, and at the time I hadn't placed 23, so it did cause a hold-up for a while -its wordplay is fully justified by Chambers however.

The first 2 words of 40 define the answer, the last 3 words indicate all but its initial. Check the second definition of 'worth' for 28.

[Coalminers]

Mmmm...That's interesting. Mine has been in the post for some time - but going through my working copy, one answer seems to unavoidably go through the same square twice. Does anyone else find that?

[Mysterons]

Which clue Coalminers ?

[Coalminers]

8d

[Mysterons]

Very well spotted - I'd completely missed that one !

[midazolam]

My 8 down does not go through the same cell again

I think all the entries are like that, but I haven't formally checked

Best wishes to your wife Z and lets hope for a straightforward recovery

[midazolam]

...actually i am partly wrong...but right in the sense that it doesn't enter the same knight's move again

[starwalker]

Zabadak - all good wishes to you and Mrs Z and hopeful of a successful outcome - as I am with this little beastie.

[JackDeCrow]

Thanks Mysterons - much happier with 40d now. Was already working on those assumptions for 28 - still just not getting the meaning of the last 3 words though. And, I must echo the "well-spotted" re 8d - had also missed that, for the same reason as midazolam. Off to work through the possible permutations of 35!

[Clamzy]

Jack - want to swap 35 for 36:-)

[trux]

Clamzy : is that a personal ad ?

[Clamzy]

Aren't they allowed?

[contendo]

To me the problem with this crossword is the 11 clues starting in the square which require cold solving. With cold solving if you can't see the solution there is no prospect of making progress through the feed-in from intersecting lights, and it is that cross-fertilisation which for me constitutes much of the fun of solving crosswords; if you are stuck, solving a crossing clue gives you another letter and hence the prospect of moving forward. Here, on the other hand, I am just stuck with going over and over the same group of riddles with no strategy for reaching a conclusion, so as I've only solved 5 out of the 11 there is no prospect of progression.
I have a nice answer for 35 however, which fits the wordplay and sound right, but unfortunately the word doesn't exist.

[JackDeCrow]

I suspect I spent a long time on the same one, contendo, but it's true - it doesn't exist! Consider some 3-letter alternatives to your last 2 letters!

[bobbycollins]

I'm with you, Contendo. Four of those left & not a hope of finishing without divine inspiration - bored with this now. Hats off to to the A list solvers, though.

bc

ps delighted to note that one of last week's "contributors" hasn't resurfaced.

[7lattens]

Likewise - divine inspiration required for 35a, 8d and 23d - failing this an e-mail to [email protected] would let me get on with the rest of my life !!!

[dead-eye]

pleased that i was not the only one to fail at 5 down. one error can cause serious problems. eventually worked from the right side to the left ending up with full grid and clashing answer.thought this was tough. regards to Mrs Z.

[dead-eye]

7 lattens. have sent required info.