Listener Crossword No 4274 -- Sonamb By Porlock

[jim360]

A very pleasant way to end the year. Grid is chock-full of thematic material, and despite the multiple gimmicks it wasn't too difficult to break into the clues, probably a few very generous ones to help us get started. Still got to decode the full message revealed by the extra letters/ words (missing the wordplay to e.g. 36a), but satisfied by my highlighting including the number. Thanks Porlock, and thanks too go to the Listener editors and setters for a bumper year of puzzles.

[Monkmonk]

Yes, this was jolly good fun and there have been some cracking puzzles in 2013.

[jim360]

Found the full message so no loose ends that I know of. Phew!

My personal top five of the year, in no particular order, would be:

4226 Polar by Kea
4230 ELM by Quinapalus
4242 Killer Queen by gwizardry (I still like numerical puzzles so had to pick one!)
4260 Nuts and Bolts by Mango
4269 Journey to the Centre by Ilver

Chosen because of how fun they were and how elegant I thought the construction was, but hardly a scientific selection.

[IainGrace]

As solvers who never start the puzzle until Saturday we will try to be Friday Nighters during this holiday. Grid complete bar half a dozen cells, and some inkling of ideas but no real grasp yet of what it's about. May be diverted by "oldies" University Challenge.

[Monkmonk]

My top 5 (in no particular order) were 4269 Journey to the Centre by Ilver, 4230 Elm by Quinapalus, 4237 Restitution by Schadenfreude, 4273 Conflict by Pointer and 4241 Skippers by Ifor.

[jockie]

Yes, very jolly. A pleasing end to the year. A Happy New Year to all, setters, solvers, bloggers, lurkers and others.

[TheBear69]

I think I understand the number and the import of the circles letters now, though it seems a bit tentative...Anyway this was a very good Listener, Porlock; thanks.

[trux]

Warmest (literally) greetings from Bangkok where I completed this using a hand-drawn grid as no access to a printer! Pretty gentle once you got into it although PDM didn't come until grid was almost full. Unambiguous finish and some lovely clues - I especially liked the surface readings of 20d and 29a. Many thanks to Purlock and festivest wishes to one and all.

[perseverer]

Grid filled, thematic side all sorted but 2 or 3 wordplays still to decipher. PDM only came right at the end. Thanks to Porlock.

[Cagey]

A fun finish and a great theme. Pdm came early, which in no way detracted. Great puzzle to finish year.

[olichant]

Lovely end to my first full Listener year. My own personal, arbitrary list of favourites would have to include the stairway to heaven; the two apples (and I'm just about over my error in that one...); Elm (not least because I had to explain it in French to a curious friend - not such an easy thing to do...); Doctor Who; and stairway to heaven again.

[upsetter]

Is the answer to the title clue to be found in the grid?

[sunny-dave]

Well, after my attack of grumpiness on 4273, that was a pleasant return to enjoying my Listenering.

A thoroughly entertaining and scrupulously fair puzzle. I particularly liked the mixture of extra letters and extra words to give a message - very neat.

Thanks Porlock - and a Happy New Year to all the usual suspects on these threads.

Dave xx

[sunny-dave]

Upsetter - just read the last few words of the preamble quite carefully.

[jim360]

Reminds me not a bit of the message in the Valley of Fear:

"434 C2 15 17 18 293 145 Douglas Birlstone 75 Birlstone 202 4 102" or something (I've made up the numbers). That message was written by Porlock... I think we can guess where the pseudonym comes from!

I wonder if there is some ambiguity about the number, though I think that might be one of those times when solvers are being too clever for their own good. Anyway, I think I know what the intended solution is. Or perhaps I hope I know!

[jockie]

No ambiguity, Jim, provided you have correctly identified all the words suggested by the title.

[jim360]

Well, I don't insist upon it. But initially I had a different first word and so a different (and certainly wrong) number I was going to highlight (justified by an old thread on Answerbank of all places!), but that put me in mind of another number that there is a more convincing (but also almost certainly wrong) number for that same alternative first word.

Anyway, I think it's an ambiguity I am creating for myself rather than one that actually exists in the puzzle. So those reading should probably ignore me, and I should probably not have mentioned it in the first place...

[sunny-dave]

Have a pint Jim ... and stop worrying :)

[perseverer]

Finally got the wordplay to 24ac. I rather like that. And I think Jim may already have had the pint (sorry) - no idea what he's thinking of.

[AHearer]

That was fun. I wonder if it is deliberate that one can get find both the correct and, to the pedant, incorrect letter mixture in 21? I initially jumped to the wrong interpretation of the title, but to my mind the hint fully resolves any ambiguity. Many thanks, Porlock.

[emcee]

Savoured this one, only just finished. Loved it and the PDM only came when approximately 80% through. If you have all the circled letters there can only be one way of properly interpreting the title IMHO.

Many thanks, Porlock, for a great puzzle to finish a vintage year of Listener puzzles.

Happy New Year to one and all.