Listener 4169 : Seaside Shuffle by Monk

[trux]

PDM at last! Having huffed and puffed, suddenly it dawned on me what it was all about. Of course, haven't actually finished it yet but wanted to get in early as never started this thread before. Ho,ho,ho!

[cruciverbali]

Very Best Wishes to all Answerbankers wherever you are this Christmas - hope you are having a wonderful time !

Cruciverbalist

[Vagans]

Yes indeed, to all. My avatar recommends Carol Services as times to mull over a memorised tricky clue - the music seems to help to brain re-wire. The avatar was also disgusted that 24a was the last clue I solved. The best bit of the puzzle for me was the way in which when enough solutions had been entered there was a sort of cascade resolving many of the ambiguities. The least satisfactory element was that the PDM came too early and then the main slog was just that. Could the construction have perhaps included some emerging [Easter Eggs - but I can hardly call them that at this time of year] on say the diagonals? If there are any such, I've missed them so far. But now - Happy Christmas to all you regulars out there that lurkers like me have enjoyed following over the year.

[Walterloo]

Cracked it. Perseverance has paid off. And an 'exchange' I'm a fan of, too. Great stuff. Thanks Monk. Now I must finish some wrapping!

[Staurologist]

I got wise to this by working out the message when it was about one-third complete, although I subsequently found that I hadn't got wise at all, and had guessed the fourth word wrongly. When that became clear, particularly having watched the repeat on this morning's TV, it fell out. I found it hard to finish solving all the clues, with all the transpositions to cope with, but in the end it appears that the solution is unique, which is pretty impressive. Did anyone else think that the title could have been "Fine Seaside Shuffle"?

Amid all the Xmas greetings, I am conscious that not everybody celebrates today. So I wish everyone here a very happy winterlude.

[contendo]

Let's hope that never gets into the BRB Staurologist.
Re 4166 - Floaker - Yes, it was just to fit in the thematic material.
Iaingrace - I too was pondering David Lean for some time until the penny dropped.
As for this week's oneirodynia (that is in) I have a grid full of clashes and a recurrent word in the "exchange" but no idea yet where it's all leading.

[BlackHugh]

Firstly Merry Christmas to all Listener solvers (or in my case at the moment potential solvers).
Secondly, although I have by no means solved it all, I had an utterly great PDM last night while watching TV - the first time that has happened for me!

[silversolver]

Half the clues solved and have just had my PDM moment and twigged the quotation and theme. Hopefully that will enable me to start filling the grid over the cold turkey tomorrow. Seasons' greetings to all fellow Listener addicts...

[contendo]

Finally sussed the theme, which has saved me from having to buy the Oxford Treasury of Sayings & Quotations, but I still seem to have a lot of work to do, not least in solving the first 3 clues.

[teuchter2]

Just to get back in touch and give everyone seasonal greetings. I haven't made much progress with this one yet as I haven't been at home all that much. I've probably solved about a dozen clues, but will persevere, as usual. I haven't posted for ages because I forgot my password and couldn't get an email to reset it. However one miraculously came a couple of days ago without my requesting it!

[pushmi-pullyu]

Inspired to persevere by Christmas present book about the Bletchley Park codecrackers. Kept telling myself that only by solving the puzzle could I save the nation from imminent invasion. It worked.

[tilbee]

Late post-festivity start for me, but finally cracked this. Went down the wrong path for some time until light eventually dawned. Even then still much work to do, and 12d held me up significantly.

Belated Xmas greetings to all and best wishes for 2012.

[tenflags]

Well I'm finding this really tough I have to say. I only have a dozen clues so far - enough to figure out the un-clued entries and quote but this has only served to show that another two clues I thought I had solved must be wrong.
e.g. I thought I had perfectly resolved 15A but the different 'extra' letter I know must be required means time to re-think ... I can also see that I'm long way off having enough resolved to begin transposing.

I might still be on this one by next xmas at this rate. Hey ho. festive felicitations to all.

[sunny-dave]

All done - nice PDM but a hard slog to grind out the last few clues.

I understand 4d, but think the wordplay is a tad flaky - I don't think the indicator word is a conventionally used one?

[Coalminers]

Godd wishes to you all at this time. I too haven't posted for a while. but I do still enjoy reading all your comments each week. I've got the new BRB and Bradford's for Xmas, so I suppose that means I'll be at it again next year!

[TheBear69]

sunny-dave, 4d was one of the last clues I solved but I think it's perfectly sound. Each word in the wordplay plays a precise role, in very 'Listener'-like fashion.

7d took me the longest to figure out (though I had the answer all right); kept trying to make a computer science term work a part of the wordplay, but that doesn't work...

Given all the possible permutations, even after you figure out the rules, it's very impressive how Monk constructed this so that the solution is truly unique. Bravo!

[vetuste_ennemi]

Seems anticlimactic (bah humbug) to find the theme (ho ho ho) with so few clues solved. Looks like a long hard slog after this with clueing more difficult than BeRo's. Or am I missing something?

I can confirm the prediction of one subscriber to the little bat thread having found the correct highlighting without knowing why. Another subscriber to the same thread had asked about solvers' thought processes. Lucy in the sky with diamonds.

Festive wishes.

[IainGrace]

Retract "This week's challenge looks easier" from earlier post. Making slow but steady progress.

[tenflags]

I think this puzzle was harder than the klein bottle one.

[Walterloo]

Tenflags - and others - I agree. I may have finished it but it was indeed A Solid Hard Strenuous Slog. But worth it I felt for the sense of completing it even though the theme came early as others have found. In terms of grid filling it was harder than some recent D-grade Magpies.

[IainGrace]

Had our PDM fairly quickly after last post and now finished grid. Now on to the slog, but well done to Monk for constructing what others say is a unique solution. Bliadhna mhath ur when it comes. Will raise a glass of single malt to Answerbankers.