Listener 4167: Lawbreaker by Stick Insect

[midazolam]

I have been staring at a complete grid for half an hour now and I must be missing the obvious. This was an extremely easy grid fill. I was expecting a tougher challenge with double clues and clashes. Time for a break, which may give me that elusive PDM

[midazolam]

OK. It took me half as long to get the PDM as it did to fill the grid, but the ending is clever and worth the head scratching exercise. However, I am not sure the grid fill was worthy of a Listener.

[contendo]

That must be my quickest ever Listener grid-fill (apart from the quote bit of 8d which still has me puzzled). Now for the hard bit

[trux]

Also filled grid ... and looking into the dark.
Pleased that endgame is worthy, as clueing was definitely on the weaker side of usual.
Anyhow, have dinner guests so good to be able to put it aside with grid full. Bon appetit, everybody!

[Ruthrobin]

Yes, with a complete grid, I am now doing the stare. Indeed it was a gentle grid fill with one enjoyable pdm already. I had to cut my grid to pieces and stick it together again, as I had started my fill in the wrong sides.

[AHearer]

Agreed, the grid fill was a bit too easy (and my tossed coin came down the wrong way up too, RuthRobin). For me, too, the final step doubled the total solution time. OK, back to those last two niggling clues in Schadenfreude's charming tribute in CAM.

[Alekhine]

Rapture! My Friday Club debut at long last.

It was interesting enough, but I'm grateful to have the relevant background for the final phase.

[Walterloo]

I liked this. As far as I'm concerned, a Listener that educates me in regards to its theme and a completed grid that has more hidden material than the preamble implies, can be forgiven for some easy clues. And I'm always up for puzzles that could attract new solvers!

[Zabadak]

Recent readers will expect me to feel a grump coming on: a full grid, easy(ish) fill, one clue determining which way round it goes, and the rest can you guess what it is yet. Oh, and not (quite) enough clashes, which is obviously going to be significant. Sigh. And last week's was so much fun.

[Zabadak]

As happens when you spend a while writing things up, fluked it, though I'm still fussed about a missing clash (unless I simply can't count). I remain of the opinion that, unless you are possessed of Alekhine's background (congratulations, by the way!) it takes something approaching a lucky guess to see what's going on, rather than a process of deduction.

[trux]

Well, you learn something new (thank you Google and Wikipedia) ... and it's all quite neat in the end. Even though I have to say that there were too many anagrams and hiddens in the clues, the construction is pleasing, the end result fair, and so my thanks go to Stick Insect. Now to Lyon(s) - why do the English insist on the "s"?- to sample M. Bocuse (As you may be able to tell, this is a bit of a foodie weekend)......

[trux]

... and one final footnote : it is all explained in BRB (well, sort of) - at least it is in there. Happy hunting!

[Zabadak]

I may be going out on a limb here, but my clashes stay resolutely at 19. Which means I must have two clues wrong, and that's pretty unlikely not because I'm infallible (my recent record with online prize crosswords will bear that out) but because of the nature of the clashes.
For Stick Insect: much appreciation of the neat construction and thanks for the education, even if the jump from finished grid to resolution was a bit of a stretch.

[trux]

Z : definitely there are 20, arranged as you would imagine ...

[Zabadak]

Yup, agreed. I had an across answer entered in a down position, and a consequent unlikely but possible wrong across answer intersecting. It can happen when you're doing grid jigsaws with four very similar pieces. I repent in dust and ashes. And I looked all over the thing...

[Ruthrobin]

Yes, all clear when we picked it up this morning. Pleasant to have a weekend left with no head-scratching about endgames. Indeed, I have 20 cells clashing too.

[tilbee]

For me I found the grid-fill rather unsatisfying - many clues on the level of a Telegraph cryptic maybe ? Having romped through that this afternoon, I am now wondering whether there will be a long search to identify the theme, in which case I feel the balance is somewhat awry.

[floaker]

Certainly an easy Listener but some have to be to encourage new solvers, it was supposedly 1 in 4 but it’s not always obvious which one. Having nearly completed the grid the correct interpretation of the clashes materialised from somewhere along with a vague memory of the lawbreaker so now I have no excuse not to go to the gym.

[aldanna]

I think I could have at last made the Friday club! I had a full grid very quickly (for me) last night, but fearing a lot of grid-staring, I decided to sleep on the endgame, thereby avoiding too many weird crosswordy dreams. Today, it all sorted out very quickly, though I must admit to being helped by my university course ahem years ago. Quite fun, but much the easiest Listener in a long time.

[pushmi-pullyu]

The grid filled, but the denouement is still eluding me. At least the CAM one is now complete.

[tilbee]

13 letters found. However via a somewhat circuitous route. Started by thinking what the clashes could represent, partially confirming by finding an entry which could show which side was which, then deducing the relevant law transgressed and finally searching on Web for the potential lawbreaker. This provided a solution that I had never heard of previously and which I think I may never have found if I had just continued to stare at the grid.