Listener 4223 Two Names By Verbascum

[Ruthrobin]

A Happy New Year to all. What a pleasant and gentle start to the year! The theme appeared early and we have thoroughly enjoyed this. We haven't quite finished but progress is regular and speedy.

[flocker]

Aren't there two ways of completing this? You could either "suitably highlight" one word (which would surely be sufficient) or are both expected? What does the panel think?

[easterfool]

I resolved to start Listeners earlier this year, but was then thwarted by my computer and printer not talking to each other. Just solved both the problem and all the clues, so one full grid. I join others in looking at the misprint corrections and making no sense at all of them. Doesn't spell out mean that they should be in the right order or is that another twist to be worked out? Still plenty of time to sort things out - or am I just too thick to see the obvious? I'm also checking that I have all the misprints - I much prefer it when I know how many I am looking for. Laziness - I know.

Best wishes for 2013 to all. Intending to be at Chester - but only as a guest of a setter!

[Ruthrobin]

I've been waiting for someone to ask that here, as a few have asked me privately and again, I fear there is ambiguity. The consensus seems to be the one word, since 'suitably' would demonstrate that we have understood and Mr Green always demonstrates considerable sense. However, a doubt lurks since the other way can only be there for a reason. The grid could easily have been compiled without it. Is it just one more example of what most of the extra letters spelled out?

[jockie]

Happy New Year to all. I have BRB12 and BRB11 and whichever edition came out in 1983 (because it's got a Listener Crossword bookplate in it). I have given all my other BRBs to deserving causes (usually the dwellings of friends with whom I stay from time to time). Will some kind person tell me whether the "earlier editions" which contain 36 are among the two (ie. 11 and 1983) which I still possess? I've tried all the obvious places to look, but without success. (The other two "earlier editions" lights posed no problem, and, as I said in a post a few weeks ago, I expect this form of words to appear regularly in order to cover the obvious need.)

[Stavrolex]

Well that's my first Listener since August, having abandoned 2012 due to lack of time, and it's good to be back. Until I read the comments here I thought that was a nice gentle start to the year, filled in the grid at a leisurely pace, duly (and suitably) highlighted the misleading (and incontrovertibly monomial) example, and put it in the post. If there is an ambiguity it sailed over my head like a rogue 36.

[tilbee]

I am unable to find 36a in either 11th or 12th Edition, so not sure how far back we need to go ? Like others found this a gentle but enjoyable start to 2013, though final resolution of the end game did take a little working out.

[easterfool]

Silly me - it does help to make sure that you have all the misprints and that you read the preamble with an open mind. Now all is done - where is my suitable highlighter? I'll enjoy reading the rest of the comments - as usual - and this time before the closing date!

[aldanna]

The letters weren't rubbish, I just didn't know the word. I was also wondering about just how much to highlight, still not clear. (Contendo, if you really mostly write to say you're stuck, that's probably why I agree with you so much.)

[IainGrace]

Oh well. All correct so far in 2013.

emcee, TheBear69's observation about the constant concern seemed less a failure to understand the rubric than a query as to the point of that final flourish in the misprints? Connected to the theme, but to what purpose other than to give B a final balancing mention?

[contendo]

Teuchter2 - Please don't mention Newcastle. Aldanna - I'm stuck again. Can't make sense of the corrected letters.

[BlackHugh]

36A is in my 1993 edition but does not seem to be in the 2008 (11th edition).
I now seem to have everything apart from the constant concern for B.

[BlackHugh]

And as usual understood it immediately after posting.

[Stavrolex]

36A is not in my 1993 BRB unless very well hidden...

[BlackHugh]

It is mentioned under a different headword (associated with B)

[emcee]

IainGrace,

I just wondered whether TheBear69 had actually got all the misprints as (s)he couldn't see the point of the positioning of the bracketed expression in the rubric.

[fortyseven]

A quick search through my past editions of Chambers reveals that 36A is in all my editions from 1972 to 2003, not under its own headword, but in brackets helping to explain a subhead phrase commonly associated with B...which is pretty obscure. But 36A appears not to be in the 11th (2008) edition or the current one. If stuck, it's probably easier to seek inspiration using Google!

[newstage]

I have the grid complete but can't get the misleading example - unless it is a replacement for oysters - and even then I can't find a continuous shape

[TheBear69]

Just to be clear, IainGrace is correct...I had no trouble with that or any other misprint. I just don't see any point to it. As for the bracketed expression, I think it is an example of a grammatical error in that the word 'which' refers not to it's immediate neighbor but to a prior word.

36a is in the Chambers CD-ROM under the same headword that presumably fortyseven refers to.

[Stavrolex]

The "which" refers, quite naturally, to the whole of the preceding phrase, i.e. "a spurious and misleading example of A's work", which is indeed what needs to be highlighted. It could maybe have been more clearly expressed, but it's by no means a grammatical error.

[Cruncher]

A nice gentlish start indeed. Without wishing to introduce a note of doubt, as we all boldly set off in pursuit of yet another elusive all-correct year of solving, does no one suspect Listener HQ of extreme deviousness: is it not just possible that the obvious highlight is indeed a (3,7) and that the correct answer, no doubt based on an early as yet unpublished Latin edition of A's work currently sitting undiscovered in some bookcase of a private Swedish library, lies elsewhere.

Just a thought.