Listener 4333 - Discussion And Appreciation

[sunny-dave]

Listener No. 4333 - In the Event of Fire by Flying Tortoise

This thread is for the traditional 'elliptical' discussion, comments and thanks to the setter.

If you want to participate in a more direct conversation, a parallel thread has been started entitled "Listener 4333 - Hints and Help". There will be a link to this in the first reply on here.

[sunny-dave]

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Quizzes-and-Puzzles/Crosswords/Question1400569.html

[jim360]

We'll see how popular the dual thread system is. I expect that most people wanting help will get it from crosswordsolver.org. But no harm in trying, eh?

[AHearer]

I thought this was a nice idea, with very fair clues and a nice set of grid treatments, but overall I was left a little unsatisfied at the end. Thanks, Flying Tortoise.

[Ruthrobin]

Yes, we had some difficulty with the endgame but the idea was ingenious, and, as you say, A Hearer, the clues were fair and on the easy side. Thanks, Flying Tortoise for some Friday fun.

[contendo]

Grid filled, but now the head-scratching starts.
I'm sure this new set-up has been organized with the best of intentions but what we had was two sites, one for hints and help and one for discussion without hints. Now we have two sites for hints and help and one for discussion. Is that an improvement? I think it's the very existence of this site which riles some people as they see it as self-satisfied & smug.

[olichant]

Funnily enough, I had an idea for a crossword on this very theme a little while back. But Flying Tortoise's clues are significantly better than mine! Really enjoyable solve - I agree with AHearer on the end result to an extent, but it was good fun.

Right, last minute V-day present needs to be purchased (ugh...)

[trux]

A lot packed into the grid but too many non-words in the end for my true liking. Still, I enjoyed the solve. Am a little discombobulated by which is precisely the order required as so far I think I can come up with three potentially valid possibilities, none of which truly meets the preamble instruction. Perhaps would have been better had the Editors not said anything and just allowed any (reasonable) combination. Not asking for help, just commenting! Many thanks to Flying Tortoise for the fun.

[starwalker]

I thought that this was a lovely puzzle with some rather cute clues, for which many thanks Flying Tortoise. However, like others, I am not totally "sold" on the ending.

[Cagey]

I had good time doing this, although relying on dodgy memory for quote as do not own required book and library visit not till a week on mon. Watched first couple of American version of house of cards. Good, but lacks classic ess of British, although that might be dodgy memory. Had wine and Chinese food. Happy times. Thank you flying tortoise.

[aldanna]

Quite an easy gridfill, but I also am a little puzzled by the final step as the wording in my Oxford DoQ is obviously not the one to use. There is the one that I can dredge up from the recesses, but I think I shall go for a compromise version, unless friend Google can offer any help.

[olichant]

Cagey - weirdly, I think I had an almost identical evening to yours on Thursday, down to the Chinese food. And I agree - the original House of Cards is well worth revisiting.

[AndrewG-S]

Straightforward enough grid fill and I got the quote fairly quickly but then stumbled as the version in my two ODQs does not match the grid version. On the Internet it is easy enough to find the grid version, but the preamble is quite explicit on the point. Also on the internet there are a number of different orders for the words and like trux there are a few ways they could be entered. So either I have gone wrong or there is a bit of a flaw in the puzzle. Either way I am a bit grumpy about it.

[s_pugh]

I’m more than a bit grumpy – a full grid but no idea as to the end game and worst of all is 21ac. Only one letter of 7 checked and an answer that apparently isn’t even in Chambers? No wonder it’s eluding me!

[Ruthrobin]

AndrewG-S, that was my difficulty with the endgame but much older versions of the ODQ do have the grid version. Rather hard on a younger solver who is likely to have only a more recent version. I fear it is an editorial oversight.

[AndrewG-S]

Given what increasingly seems to be a flaw in the puzzle the endgame is not made any easier and it was a bit of a leap of faith anyway. It can't be that difficult for the setter and editors to check a recent version of ODQ and the setting guidelines are explicit that particular versions of BRB ODQ etc should not be needed. If they really are then the preamble should be clear on this. To add insult to injury england got trounced in the cricket i am tired from getting up early to watch and forgot Valentine's day. The weekend can I hope only get better.

[jockie]

And the edition of ODE (2010, Third) does not have 17, although SOED does. Is there a later ODE?

[jim360]

Ironically, given recent discussions, there is an easy fix to the ambiguity that could trip people up unfairly. We could release publically the precise wording of the quote, or at least the first word of it...

[perseverer]

Wondered if the phrasing of the preamblewas significant -.it didn't just say "quotation in ODQ"

[olichant]

So I realise that this sort of abnegates the "discussion" we had last week - but anyone who wants to discuss the details of this puzzle, please do email me on oli chant at g mail dot com.

[perseverer]

Oxforddictionaries.com will allow you to confirm 17 and 21 - not convinced this is the same thing as Oxford Dictionary of English, which seems to lack 21, and make a good job of concealing 17!