Listener 4207 - Loco by Ferret

[TheBear69]

I found this to be a nice challenge with a very satisfying final step. I found the clues to be tough but fair (except I felt 19:33d was subpar). Well done, Ferret.

[IainGrace]

Clearly some cold solving to be done to get clues in conventional order, even ignoring the clashes. Are the incorrect letters read in conventional clue order or as appearing?

[silversolver]

This looked completely impenetrable at first glance but after a bit of cold solving and being able to slot a few answers into the grid, it all came together nicely. A tough challenge, but enjoyable, thanks Ferret. An impressive feat of construction too.

[dr b]

Very enjoyable and not nearly as daunting as the preamble, which is possibly more abstruse than last week.

[AHearer]

Agreed, very good fun. The significance of the final step didn't strike me until I was making my copy to mail in -- perhaps, once again, a little obscure for our fellow sufferers overseas. The incorrect letters are to be read in clue order too, IainGrace.

[tilbee]

Yes not as difficult as appears at first glance, with the immutability of the stations providing a good base for the grid fill. A good, fun and inventive puzzle so thanks to Ferret.

[AHearer]

Conventional clue order, that is.

[IainGrace]

Thanks, AHearer. Agree with general comments, having made progress by solving the longest entries and quite a few others, and starting to build the grid.

[teuchter2]

Yes, I agree, it was not as bad as it seemed. I haven't quite finished the final stage, but have the grid filled and know what I am doing for once. I did get last week's finished, with the pdm arriving soon after my last posting. There was enough thematic material to make it obvious really, so don't know why it took so long.

[jim360]

I'm at the point of the endgame, both messages, and maybe I know what to do next. But my idea doesn't seem all that convincing... maybe when I carry it through all will become clear.

That nagging doubt said, it's a very good puzzle. I see misprints quite often but not sure I've ever seen both the correct and the wrong letters carry a message. That in itself is fairly special, isn't it?

[TheBear69]

While my admiration remains high, is there not a rule for misprints that the case of the corrected word should agree with that of the original word? I'm surprised the editors allowed some of these clues or did not add a clarification in the instructions.

[perseverer]

A couple of tricky wordplays stopped me getting the message right for a bit, then the final stage needs care, but yet another example of clever grid construction.

[Ruthrobin]

Monday club for me - just. This has been very hard work with a nice little pdm at the end. Thank you Ferret.

[Ruthrobin]

No, I mean Sunday - that's what comes of staying up to suss out such end games!

[emcee]

A puzzle in true Listener tradition. I was impressed at how all the data in the puzzle was used and don't recall seeing this device used before. To achieve the final grid entry must have taken a great deal of planning.

Very impressive. Thanks, Ferret, for an enjoyable workout.

[jim360]

Ah, once you get the final step everything just works. Wonderful!

A tough slog, but well worth it in the end, I think.

[tilbee]

TheBear69 - is it not commonplace that clues sometimes disguise words as a proper noun (i.e capitalised). If we accept this, then I see no reason thyat we should not accept a case change whe modifying letters.

[tilbee]

But not typos..let me try again !

TheBear69 - is it not commonplace that clues sometimes disguise words as a proper noun (i.e capitalised). If we accept this, then I see no reason that we should not accept a case change when modifying letters.

[Ruthrobin]

Back to BIG B little b bouncing B again - no, surely not!

[tilbee]

In order not to resurrect this controversy again I will SOFT(ly) SIGN out.

[trux]

I found this tough - didn't get going really till this morning as only got back from travelling late on Saturday. Clues were definitely on the hard side, misprints often cleverly disguised, but one could build (most of) grid from longer entries. Hiding two messages in the misprints/corrections was first rate. Endgame became a bit of a chore but produced neat finish. Many thanks to Ferret for a real challenge. (Btw, did anybody else opt for an alternative - but undoubtedly unacceptable - correction of the misprint in the very last clue?)