Listener 4241 Skippers By Ifor

[AndrewG-S]

I cannot find a thread for the puzzle so expect I will be redirected. I think I have this all completed although not 100% on the final step, so this needs a bit more thought. Spent ages on a huge thematic red herring. An enjoyable challenge, thanks ifor.

[Texasetes]

Sadly, some repeat offenders seem to take great delight in doing just that.
Please, let's not sink to the level of the other place.

[starwalker]

A lovely puzzle whose ending justified the staring and head-scratching. Thanks Ifor.

[fallster]

I was worried this would be the first one in years where I didn't get the theme, but it finally yielded to Google. I wonder how many got it without internet search?

[kwyjibo]

I too thought I'd been stumped and I got it by a complete fluke, hearing a name I had toyed with and googled, with no helpful results. That gave me the key and then the rest was plain sailing.
I don't think the theme is obscure.

[TheBear69]

I think 43a is perfect exactly as worded

I agree that there is absolutely no ambiguity regarding the mystery letters nor any other aspect of this tour de force.

[PureListener]

Half way through my second day of grid staring....

[youngoffender]

This is one of those Listeners where the instructions are maddeningly opaque until the theme reveals itself, but quite clear once the penny drops and you have done the homework. I too was stuck on grid-staring, but much depends on your interpretation of what emerges from the ‘special’ clues. I was led up a blind alley that seemed an unlikely Listener theme; the nudges on thematic clue content then steered me in the right direction.

[olichant]

I can't submit this week (my online subscription ran out a few weeks ago, and I was abroad so couldn't pick up a copy of the paper - and I'm assuming it's too late to get one now). But I checked in here just to see how much fun I'm missing. On the one hand, it seems like a fantastic crossword and I'm annoyed I'm missing out. On the other hand, I'm 99% confident that I can guess the theme from what's been said here - and that's totally "blind". One post in particular is really quite obvious if you've heard of the background. Apologies if I'm wrong (but I honestly don't think I am) - it just seems a bit OTT for my taste.

Will read the blogs with interest, though - sounds like it is a cracker.

[tramart]

olichant : if you supply an e-mail address I'm sure a copy or three will be in your Inbox in minutes.

[olichant]

That would be amazing if possible - [email protected]. I'd be very grateful (and even supply a cryptic prediction of the theme based on my hopefully inaccurate crystal ball...)

[Alekhine]

An almost complete grid fill at the weekend, but little time since then. I thought I had the theme early on, but my childish idea eventually gave way to something more significant. Yes, lots of 'obvious' clues once you realise what this is about.

Some minor gripes. The error in 15A was clear early on, and disappointing for that. Also, isn't there a superfluous word in 40D? And I have two plausible answers for 6D, one admittedly better than the other, but two which hold up, in my humble opinion.

[Alekhine]

Oh ... I forgot to mention ...

Will there be fuss about the diacritical sign?

[jim360]

Let's not even go there.

In 40d you could probably do without the superfluous wood you mention but it's just as fine with it. 6d I got a second solution too, at first -- but it's pretty clear shortly afterwards what the correct one is, and it looks a lot more convincing.

[olichant]

Thanks for all the help with feeding my Listener addiction - much appreciated.

15a has been corrected - see the Listener website.

[Deviant]

Oh well. I've had a good run lately by my standards, and I was doing well - grid complete, with a couple of reservations about 40A, theme got and nominal replacement done.

However, no amount of staring tells me what block to rebuild (although I can obviously tell roughly where it should be) and I've only got the first bit of the instruction - later letters don't seem to make sense, no matter what assumptions I make about the rebuilding.

Maybe time to step back for a day or two as I'm obviously not going to finish it in time to save my 60p postage.

[Whenland]

It's taken us until today, but we have filled the grid, got the theme and Mrs W decoded the message. Can't figure out how to implement it yet though. Might just make the Friday Week Club at this rate!

[Whenland]

Spoke too soon! All done now. This was a great feat of construction - thank you Ifor!

[olichant]

Wonderful theme and representation. All done apart from identifying the number, even though I have a few obvious candidates in mind - the instruction seems infuritatingly cryptic and opaque. Am feeling Very Slow...

[olichant]

And, as ever, ten minutes after posting, the answer reveals itself. Incredibly sneaky, though. Thanks, Ifor!

[Cloverjo]

At last! I was stuck for ages with everything done except the rebuilt block. Finally got it and all makes sense, except perhaps 43, as others have said.