Listener 4189, 8 by 13

[Zabadak]

Best of luck with this one, everybody. I nearly quit with it being a carte blanche (sort of - at least we have word lengths) with indeterminate numbers of letters to be removed from clues, clashing letters and mysterious curves in the grid AND (dammit) yet another hunt the missing words game made extra tricky by having to guess the setter's name.
I'm still puzzled by that last bit: "extended sequence" is open to all sorts of interpretations and, while I have the theme, I'm inclined to think I may not know when I've reached the answer the setter intends for entry under the grid. You know how cheesed off I can get with that!
Up to there, a (just about) fair challenge and a tidy enough construction, so as far as that goes, thanks setter, you know who you are even if I don't!

[emcee]

Just finished, a long haul but worth it! I'm amazed at the sheer brilliance of the entire grid construction (if you get my drift, I don't want to be too specific here). Congratulations to the unmasked 'Mystery Setter' for an excellent challenge.

[kwyjibo]

Just finished too. Persevere: like most Listeners, it isn't quite as hard as it seems.

[Walterloo]

Superb Listener. I finished all tasks a little while ago but just had the title and setter to find. When I worked them out it was a joy. Well done Setter person. Definitely one of your best. Tough, but a delight.

[AndrewG-S]

Two cubed by baker's dozen proved to be quite a challenge. Tricky clues and construction with the mix of clashes, extra letters, carte Blanche etc. But in the end there was just the right balance for me to keep going, for example including clue lengths allowed for quite a bit of grid design even with relatively few answers. There were a number of really neat touches which I enjoyed and getting the title and setter was a relief are a degree of grid staring. Great puzzle, many thanks baker's dozen.

[jockie]

Still struggling on - thanks for the reassurance, v_e; it helps to get the words on the right row. Got the title but if the setter comes from the same process I could be up all night, so still missing something methinks. But enjoying hacking away at the logicface. I agree about the need for BRB08 and hope that the Editors have tacitly accepted its continuing use in the now missing department.

[tilbee]

Only got around to this this morning, but have managed to identify the theme and have the completed grid and entered bars. Will wait now to consider final step until after a long lunch. Certainly tough, but does all come together as one works through the detail - really should have had the theme identified from the extraneous letters much quicker than i did.

[x_word_fan]

Echoing the positive comments and has anyone else noticed another neat thematic touch in the missing letters for each clue?

[sunny-dave]

Phew - long hard slog - but very worthwhile - some nice clues and a little unexpected easter egg to help along the way.

Thank you for a good work out 'setter'

[Alekhine]

Stone me. That was a battle.

Beautifully constructed. Thank you!

[tilbee]

Yes the long lunch worked. Title and setter came immediately on return. A lovely puzzle.

[Ruthrobin]

Difficult but what a stunner! Many thanks mystery setter. Only really started today and the endgame truly had us foxed for some time - Superb!

[teuchter2]

Looking for inspiration to keep me going and it seems as if it will be worth it. I have an almost complete grid, having been hindered for quite a while by not reading that there were clashes in the grid. The trouble is that now I have nine, and feel that I need more, so something is amiss. Still 3 clues to solve and not sure I understand how to interpret the instructions given by missing first letters yet.

[dr b]

Threw in the towel and asked for help from a higher power on title/setter. Can confidently state that I would never have found it in a million years - despite being right on exactly what I was looking for! Score one for "13."

[tenflags]

Very elegant .. nailed to the point of considering the 12 cells - title and identity. Reading the above looks like I might help to put it aside for a while. Nice puzzle so far.

[tenflags]

Soon as went to make a cuppa - penny fell - wow. excellent.

[BlackHugh]

My heart sank when I saw it was not only a Carte Blanche but also with clues mangled and clashes! But struggled on and have just got the last step and identified 8 & 13. (But there is surely something wrong with the world if dr. b fell at that hurdle which I didn't think was the most difficult step?)

[starwalker]

x_word_fan - thanks for pointing that out. It completely passed me by in the heat of the moment.

[jockie]

Like dr b I'd like to discuss the title/setter privately. I'm interested that both seem to have come at the same time to some solvers - I've had for some time what seems a brilliant way of getting the rather obvious title but the same method "extened" doesn't lead to anything like a setter. This suggests that my method of obtaining the title, while it looks the sort of thing to be expected, is actually wrong. Hence my desire to exchange thoughts privately. Will anyone be willing to help?

[tilbee]

jockie - you can contact me at [email protected]

[jockie]

Thanks tilbee, but just after my last posting I noticed that there is a second method of obtaining the title, and this one indeed leads to a recognizable setter. Glad I finally made it on my own though!