Listener No 4265 Ability By Kruger

[AHearer]

Again, not too tricky. I admit, though, to having got the word from the quotation rather than by more direct means, and I should go back and check where two of the letters came from. Thanks, Kruger.

[starwalker]

yes, a lovely puzzle that kept its secret until quite late. Now I must go back to find where I acquired an extra extra letter for the word. Thanks Kruger.

[jim360]

Going to check this one more carefully for careless mistakes after last week's annoying slip. Anyway, a nice theme once it came together -- the gimmick has been overused a bit this year, though. Thanks anyway Kruger!

[olichant]

Really nice theme. Thanks, Kruger.

[x_word_fan]

Unless I am mistaken is there not a completely erroneous definition in the last clue?

[AndrewG-S]

I agree about the erroneous definition. Fun puzzle anyway though.

[AHearer]

Now you come to mention it, x_word_fan, yes. I was so happy that the BRB entry contained the right noun that I didn't check the adjective.

[Mesnilpat]

The penny dropped this morning and I've finally got the word. I seemed to find too many letters to start with but I've worked it out now. I too didn't spot the erroneous definition. Nice puzzle.

[dr b]

The online version of the puzzle now reads "Non-venomous snake" for 34d.

[Cagey]

Well this is embarrassing. After racing (okay stomping steadily, but evenly) through the last few months puzzles came to a complete standstill within a dozen clues. Just not getting feel for these clues. Oh well, maybe try again in a few days. Well done the "already solved"s.

[Scorpius]

I made a slow start, but things became a lot easier once I saw what was going on in the grid. I had a bit of trouble getting the jumbled word because I had an additional extra letter (caused by the fact that there are two different abbreviations for the same word).

An enjoyable puzzle, good set of clues (including one, 19, to which I'm still trying to fathom the wordplay), well-implemented theme. What more could one want? I didn't mind the 'overused' gimmick. Hardly the setter's fault since the chances are that he will have submitted this puzzle at least 18 months ago.

[TheBear69]

The wordplay in 19d is quite clever. You need to think about the defined three-word phrase cryptically.

Thanks, Kruger...

[fallster]

Had a hard time with this for a while, until I realized something about a number of the answers that I should have realized earlier. After that, a fairly easy jog to the finish. Nice puzzle.

[emcee]

Have managed to drag myself away from marking scripts. I enjoyed this puzzle and thought the device used was perfectly acceptable (and far from being hackneyed).

I liked 19ac too!

Thanks Kruger.

[teuchter2]

Yes, thoroughly enjoyable. I wasn't able to start on Friday, but got finished last night, having been held up by an erroneous idea about how to enter some of the answers! My idea could actually be a variation on the theme, so I won't say what it is in case I turn my hand to compiling! I only understand 19 now I have read the various comments.

[IainGrace]

Basic problem in this household is solving the clues.....

[Ruthrobin]

Indeed, most enjoyable, thanks, Kruger.

[IainGrace]

Best way to understand 19 is maybe to read the clue and answer as a single sentence. Making headway now.

[the_heisman]

Very nicely executed. I suspect the construction is a more difficult than it looks. And very tough clues.

[trux]

Perhaps not quite as much a fan as others seem to be: just didn't really do it for me as a Listener. Yes, it's neatly constructed and it all falls together perfectly (and unambiguously) in the end, but ... but .. but (not quite sure what). Glass was half empty for me. Don't really know why, so many thanks to Kruger in any event and I'll go away and do some self analysis.

[Philoctetes]

I just plodded through, solving clues without having any real idea of the theme. By the time I finished, the ending just left me feeling "So?". Clever, but not great.