Listener No 4252 Carte Blanche By Lavatch

[trux]

Wowee! Amazing stuff, but really hard to fathom initially and then, and then...all of it starts to fall into place ... pause ... think again ... think again ... Eureka!! A joy, Mr Lavatch. Many, many thanks.

[Cruncher]

This is a late call and you are probably all on to the next one by now. I'm away from home and therefore have no BRB so have been using Chambers on iPad.

This has all fitted into place, eventually, except for the final blank square where, proceeding logically and consistently, I finish up with a word that does not come up in Chambers. I may have missed something else of course but could anyone confirm whether all the final grid words come up on the Chambers app. version.

If that is giving too much away please email me at [email protected]

[iamamoose]

Cruncher - no, you need the paper version

[IainGrace]

Finished. Excellent puzzle. For once, is there no clue in the title and is it as prosaic as it appears to be?

[borealis]

My goodness what a wonderful puzzle. For me, this ties with recent Shackleton and BeRo puzzles for the best so far of 2013. Glad that fyellin and Ornis had similar trouble with the clashes instruction - final penny dropped there for me this morning. Thank you, Lavatch, for a fun week!

[Cruncher]

Thank you Iamamoose. As I shan't be near a paper version for another month I shall stick to my sense of logic and proceed hopefully. I wonder whether it is possible to get some kind of medical note, certification of cruciverbalitis, that would increase one's baggage allowance on long haul flights to allow inclusion of a BRB

[Philoctetes]

IainGrace,
I think the title refers to the state of the thematic item before being "improved" by those referred to in the first line of the quote

[youngoffender]

I worked on this at my leisure on holiday last week, and was glad I took both Chambers and Bradford with me - what a brilliant puzzle, surely a strong contender for the Gold Cup. At first I thought the title was a nondescript afterthought, but of course it fits the theme perfectly.

[Alekhine]

Yes, this was a treat.

My vote for 'Best of the year' so far.

[IainGrace]

Regarding the final instruction, does it suggest a plural substitution whereas in fact one makes a singular substitution, or are we missing something? Don't think this is giving anything away since those at this stage will presumably understand the question and those who are not won't.

[olichant]

IainGrace - I agree with the actual substitution, but the directions are justified if you look at the cell immediately to the right of the last amended cell.

[IainGrace]

Thanks, Olichant. That confirms our rationale, which is helpful.