Listener 4185 : Ballad by Elgin

[trux]

(sorry started on wrong site, apparently) - so repeat here :
Well, we had all been moaning that the Big L was getting to be the Big EZ ... not this week, mefears but after a mammoth struggle, have now finished gridfill. OMG. Wow ! Thanks (methinks) to Elgin.... (see previous msg for longer version, too tired to type more....)

[bobbycollins]

Is the firing squad ready? Because I think that I may well have to collude if I don't crack this by end of play in the footy this afternoon. No, I don't submit.

[silversolver]

Well, that was certainly the toughest of the year so far by a long chalk. Managed to stagger over the line and enjoyed the PDM at the end when I finally realised what it was all about, although this was not until I had a full grid. Like the Bear above I am therefore surprised that there was no requirement to demonstrate this understanding. However, a very fine Listener and I thought some of the clues were excellent.

[teuchter2]

Not much time spent on this as I had an unfruitful visit to Hampden Park yesterday. I am flying SW tomorrow for a week, so can't see myself finishing this one. I have solved all but three of the across clues, but wish I could get more down ones. I've got fewer than half so far. Is 3d an anagram? It looks as if it should be, but doesn't seem to be.

[emcee]

teuchter2,

3d is an anagram. Keep at it!

[cluelessJoe]

Well, after a couple of long slogs, I made it into the 4 o'clock Sunday club. Some great testing clues, but I now feel like I've just done twelve rounds at the wrong end of Mike Tyson at his bruising best. Time for a long rest.

[Alekhine]

This was fantastic. Thank you, Elgin, for a real work-out.

Of course, I have been a little distracted this weekend with my team winning promotion to the Championship, and having the two-year old grand-daughter stay with us for three nights, but 'Ballad' was a great way to unwind.

A marvellous weekend all round here at Alekhine Towers.

[magichour]

Made some good progress today but still 6 across clues unsolved (with another uncertain) and a few downs (also some uncertain). Have managed to fit a few acrosses in now, though, and given that two of them are the 13 letter ones, the 'omitted column' appears to be located in an interesting way. Still working at some tough clues.

[the_heisman]

One of the hardest I have completed but looking back it is unclear why I found it so hard as it is all perfectly fair. Thank you Elgin for a very nicely sustained challenge and an interesting theme. I agree some clues not completely rationalised in particular the "perverted" one (don't have grid to hand). Excellent helpful/unhelpful instructions.

[tilbee]

Away for the weekend and unable to pick up a copy of the Times. Looks like I mised a cracker. Could anyone be kind enough to send me a copy at [email protected] ?

[slaney]

@tilbee- scanned copy sent.

[tilbee]

Thanks slaney

[magichour]

That...was...tough. I still haven't entirely worked out why a couple of answers are as they are (notably the wordplay for 11d and definitions of 13d and 17d), but am quite confident that they are correct. Still thought I'd missed something when I couldn't slot certain answers in, but knowledge of the extra column and a little help from Google made the penny not just drop, but thunk firmly into place. A really tough solve, but the final realisation of how beautifully this was constructed and how all the elements of the preamble came together, was worth it. To those still struggling onwards, keep at it. Strong contender for the best of the year so far.

[magichour]

And in response to coalminers' point about the non-standard spelling of one entry - although the BRB indicates another version, I think the actual entry is in common enough use to justify it.

[Walterloo]

After leaving this alone for a little while (always recommended) I picked this up again and within moments I suddenly saw the light. Still to finish but nearly done. And I'd been close to following aldanna's sensible advice to surrender. Also not sure of some wordplay but this is certainly a brain masher of a very high quality.

[upsetter]

Had the PDM, completed the satisfying gridfill - but wondering if there is a final twist in the tail with the odd few cells that are in down but not across - can anyone confirm?

[Zabadak]

A very long and desultory (I did it in bits with lots of unavoidable stuff in between) solve much speeded up when I read the instructions yet again and saw the bit about symmetry.
I actually didn't like this much, partly because at the end I was left with a feeling that I should have got it quicker, though Waterloo's rule of leaving it for a while definitely applied to me, and there was a lot of ice cold solving before you got anywhere, despite the early placement of the long ones.
Whereas, of course, one complains if it's too easy, this one felt like a long slog (a sentiment apparently echoed here). Good, stiff, just about fair, but it's not going to be in my shortlist for puzzle of the year.

[trux]

Z cup looks like it's heading back home ... the more I have thought about this, the more I admire it. It is exceedingly good. Even if I think some proof that the change had hit the pavement would have not gone amiss. Because one could (repeat could) follow all the rules and complete it and still not know what it's all about. Probably.

[Zabadak]

Upsetter: no, I don't think there's any significance in the odd letters, they're just too odd and are not allowed for in the clues or the preamble. Mind you, those two unclued entries gave me a lot of head scratching, too, before the (last?) penny dropped and they made perfect sense.

[Zabadak]

Cheers Trux - it'll make up for my lot getting cheated and then stuffed at Wembley in the other cup.

[pushmi-pullyu]

Wow, that was tough. I particularly liked the clueing for 7d, but struggled for a long time with 3d never having heard the word. Very nearly gave up altogether, but glad I didn't. I shall sleep sweetly tonight.