Listener 4162 Carte Blanche with a Twist by Mash

[starwalker]

Judging from the dearth of postings, others are also finding this less than a walkover - pretty much as foretold.
I'm still working on paragraph one of the preamble and an odd assortment of answers. Friday Night Club maybe, but probably next Friday.

[Speravi]

jim360: your three grids idea works for me.

[Mysterons]

jim360, yes 3 adjacent grids is sufficient to tease out the symmetry - it might even be helpful to create a blocked grid for the initial fill.

[Mysterons]

Sorry Speravi, I hadn't 'turned the page '!

[Speravi]

Mysterons: No problem!

[aldanna]

As I have low spatial ability, Himself said that if I cold-solved all the clues he would tackle the grid. No problem there, then (still trying, without too much hope).
Contendo, I have decided you were right last week. Ruthrobin told me all about the Magpie, also giving me a glimpse of the inner echelons of the crossword world, but I have decided I need the rest of my life more than extra crosswords.

[Cruncher]

Slowly chugging through this - about half the answers so far so a long way to go but finally tumbled the "non-stick jam jar". Brought a smile to the face!

[JackDeCrow]

Yes, much chuckling (or possibly groaning) at the non-stick jam jar. Just finished part 1 but pretty much time to go and set off some fireworks, so the rest might have to wait until tomorrow!

[Ruthrobin]

Oh dear, pride goes before a fall. I realize that my glee at having a full and working 10 X 15 grid was premature as it doesn't fulfil all requirements. Back to the drawing board!

[dead-eye]

No progress on the smaller grid. Would be happy with an incorrect one. Off to pub.

[AndrewG-S]

Slow progress here but at base camp now with the 30x15 done. Time to start head scratching.

[AHearer]

I wonder if I'm in the same position as Ruthrobin. I thought I had neatly transcribed my larger grid to the smaller one, with a suitable 11-letter description leaping out, only to realise that (dependent on a two-way choice) either it read all left to right or all right to left, and that it didn't involve a clash. I know that sounds like a lot of detail, but I don't think it reveals anything apart from my own incompetence! I'll give my head a rest from scratching for the rest of the evening -- or maybe have a go at the Mephisto.

[AHearer]

When I said "it didn't involve a clash," I meant to refer to the grid, not the description.

[emcee]

I've made progress since last night and have the completed final grid. My problem is that the 11 cells should ideally be 14 in order that the 11 are properly connected.

[midazolam]

AHearer, make that 2 in that boat

[TheBear69]

I'm in the same boat...no clash:-(

[Walterloo]

Started this one late after guests left yesterday (tried hard not to push them out of the door too exuberantly in order to get my hands on this one). All but a few cold solved, including 1 down. Can't see how to unravel it. I have a really good idea of how the first grid is to be created and a smidgen of an idea for the submission grid. One of the aforementioned guests picked up my untouched copy of this, read the preamble and promptly replaced it on my desk. He looked at me with what I like to think was sympathy in his eyes but it was more likely something else. He's not a crossword fan. He was the first to be pushed out onto the street.

[sunny-dave]

An overnight pdm means that (having gone to sleep with the same "it's all left to right" problem as Ahearer and midazolam) I now have a satisfactory resolution. I think it's all about being very very accurate in the transcription into the final grid.

I've got a nice clash - now just got to find the "hidden but not needed" message for my own satisfaction :-)

Astonishingly constructed puzzle - 10/10 for Mash

[tenflags]

Having picked this up early (given the warnings last week about being a brute), I finished part 1 late yesterday but a nights sleep hasn't brought new light to part 2 for me yet. Intrigued by some comments above but will have to pick up this afternoon after rugby now.

[Monkmonk]

Well done to Dr B and sunny-dave who seem to be the only posters to find a clash. Is it a standard clash where two different letters want to go in one cell?

[Coalminers]

Yes and No