Listener 4238 Typtoing In Grammar's Footsteps

[Ruthrobin]

This has be tremendous fun. Many thank Jaques, I too is typtoing in grammar's footstep's. (Actually finding the message about what solver's mus't do symmetrically helped enormous - smile!)

[Coalminers]

Yes, great fun. And awonderful excuse for the compiler and the vetters to get away with murder.

[Coalminers]

And me!

[trux]

Fun indeed, if not all of it to my utter liking. Neat resolution of any ambiguities. Thanks, Jaques, for another good puzzle.

[trux]

...or should that be: Thanques Jax .... ?

[starwalker]

Yes indeed. Lots of fun and another piece of learning.

[jim360]

At the grid-staring stage now. The jumbles made it very tough to make progress at any great speed but it was worth it for me just for the joy of 9 down, where the jumble is almost as thematic as the actual answer!

Also a smile over some of the wordplay of 22a, and deja vu at 35a as that clue almost word-for-word appeared in my EV a month ago!

[Speravi]

Good fun, but... a greengrocer's apostrophe in the preamble? Is the wordplay in 2 down sound? Would 'inconsistently' in 5 down be better rendered as 'inconstantly'? Nevertheless, thanks to Jaques for a rare example where the endgame tail doesn't wag the cluing dog.

[jim360]

I think those are all deliberate...

[Coalminers]

I can see nothing wrong with 2d, though I did wonder whether or not the word you mention in 5d was an accident.
I know that these crosswords where the down(/across) entries have to be entered in jumbled form are a bit frowned upon, but I do love the extra amount of thematic material that can be revealed in them.

[Speravi]

I take jim360's suggestion that the apostrophe may be an isolated thematic joke (perhaps there are others that I've missed - more than likely, if they're there), but my reference to 2 down involves counting (and I can't see a thematic connection) and my other comment refers to word choice and I can't see that as thematic either. Perhaps I've lost my sense of humour, but there have been, in my opinion, so many infelicities in preambles that have passed through the editing process uncorrected that I take them at face value. Having said that, I do appreciate that it's a thankless task: when it goes well, it is accepted as the way things should be, and when something goes awry, curmudgeons like me complain about it. Either way, thanks again to Jaques (and the editing team).

[Alekhine]

This was OK ... but my endgame is not entirely symmetrical. Only slightly out, but out nonetheless.

Is it just me?

[jockie]

It's symmetrical all right. And another nugget of learning filed away.

[Coalminers]

Alekhine....I was going to suggest you remove your question.....but it's probably too late now. And as for 2d, I have absolutely no problem with the counting! Think again.....

[Alekhine]

Coalminers,

I have no idea why you think that my question is inappropriate, but I suppose that to elaborate would make matters worse.

In ignorance, I apologise if I have given anything away .. although I can't see what.

[Coalminers]

Apologies entirely accepted. End of subject.

[emcee]

Decent enough puzzle and treated in a much fairer way than one of MynoT's a few years ago!

Thanks Jaques.

[upsetter]

Alekhine, we can't see that you have given anything away, other than to those who have already solved the problem, as we suspect you will have done by now.

[upsetter]

Now we think that Alekhine is correct in that the symmetrical shading requires a solecism

[Ruthrobin]

If you solve the Spectator crossword every week, as we have done for about 20 years, that solecism is bread-and-butter diet for you. People do fuss about its currency and a version of it caused something approaching 50% errors in a Nutmeg Magpie B crossword only a few months ago (here's my Magpie plug - time for another - www.piemag.com). I think the word 'symmetrical' said a lot in this crossword and, if you don't read the preamble, it's your problem. The Listener editors don't make mistakes do they - or do they? I can't remember any.

[Coalminers]

How delightful that one of the winners of the Lines and Squares puzzle was Mrs Milne.