Jobs & Education2 mins ago
Listener 4361 Two For The Price Of One By Monk
33 Answers
Pretty easy grid fill, and an interesting second puzzle. I do quite enjoy puzzles of this second type, but the ones I have seen before tend to be very trivial. This one was a little more challenging.
Thanks Monk.
(Apologies if there is already a thread for this crossword. I couldn't find one, but with the unpredictable Answerbank search function, that doesn't necessarily mean it doesn't exist.)
Thanks Monk.
(Apologies if there is already a thread for this crossword. I couldn't find one, but with the unpredictable Answerbank search function, that doesn't necessarily mean it doesn't exist.)
Answers
Best Answer
No best answer has yet been selected by Contrarian. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.A rainy day here in St. Petersburg. Pretty miserable actually. And my host for the week is out. So I settled down to do this one and, despite a bit of stumbling on the grid fill (and, at the time of writing, an annoying gap at 7dn still), the second puzzle was rather easy. I thought at least two of the special cells were redundant -- possibly another couple, if it comes to that -- although I suppose it makes sense to provide more guidance for those unfamiliar with the second puzzle.
This has to be puzzle divided if ever I saw one. Lovely selection of deceptive clues and hats off for designing a puzzle like this with a unique solution with a theme away from quotations / extra letter in wordplay / giant leaps.
However I am baffled by the setting of the grid. Perhaps the 15x8 was necessary because of the specified track, but why the asymmetrical nature. Surely this is unnecessary. If the track created (all) real words or it bypassed crossing bars I could understand the reason behind why Monk created the grid like this. I feel there was an opportunity missed as it had so much potential.
However I am baffled by the setting of the grid. Perhaps the 15x8 was necessary because of the specified track, but why the asymmetrical nature. Surely this is unnecessary. If the track created (all) real words or it bypassed crossing bars I could understand the reason behind why Monk created the grid like this. I feel there was an opportunity missed as it had so much potential.
Enjoyed the fairly easy gridfill, but knowing the second puzzle was not my sort of thing, I roped in Himself and we were comfortably in the Friday club. Yes, we had spotted RR's win as well and I was going to be the first to post congratulations, though without being able to begin with the miserable weather in St. Petersburg. It was nice and sunny in NE England!
The September Magpie has just arrived http:// www.pie mag.com / and has a foreword by Shane which discusses this site and the STMNBM. It is far more comprehensive than the one that appeared in the August Magpie, recognising that this site has a value in encouraging and helping newcomers (though, he pleads, giving help off-line and not blatantly revealing solutions here). He seems to appreciate that the 'self-appointed' police keep this site 'clean'.
Filled the grid reasonably quickly, but I can't say the endgame excites me at all. I'm finding it a bit fiddly and may give up out of boredom. I like AHearer's suggestion of a spreadsheet.
I wish there was some editorial consistency regarding regional indicators. Setters have been told that regional/dialect/archaic/obsolete usage must be indicated, but there is nothing to indicate one of the definitions in 28 is Scottish. There have been so many similar lapses this year that I'm beginning to wonder if the rule has been abandoned.
I wish there was some editorial consistency regarding regional indicators. Setters have been told that regional/dialect/archaic/obsolete usage must be indicated, but there is nothing to indicate one of the definitions in 28 is Scottish. There have been so many similar lapses this year that I'm beginning to wonder if the rule has been abandoned.
I don't think the logic of Train Tracks is anywhere near as demanding as, say, the logic of last week's numerical, but then I do usually do them in the Saturday Times so I have had some practice. I enjoyed the clues (especially 27d which raised a chuckle) and the step-by-step laying out of the tracks at the end - cheers, Monk.
As others have said, a fairly easy gridfill with lots of clever and amusing clues. Good: I enjoy crosswords.
But the train track add-on isn't something I can find the time or interest to be bothered with. If I were still submitting, I think I'd be pretty cross about it. No doubt there's some mathematical or logical key that sorts everything out, but it's lost on me. Not Angry, just heaving a weary sigh of resignation.
But the train track add-on isn't something I can find the time or interest to be bothered with. If I were still submitting, I think I'd be pretty cross about it. No doubt there's some mathematical or logical key that sorts everything out, but it's lost on me. Not Angry, just heaving a weary sigh of resignation.
Same as you, UU. I completed the crossword part (which I enjoyed, Monk is a fine setter) and left it there. I do appreciate that variety is the spice of Listeners and this puzzle will no doubt appeal to many, so I'm not complaining about the puzzle itself. But it's perhaps not the best decision to schedule a puzzle with a predominant non-verbal element the week after a numerical?
UglyUncle, I don't really accept your justification for the absence of a Scottish indicator. The relevant word in the clue is not specifically Scottish; all Chambers has to say is '...in Scotland especially'.
In the past there was no rule about this and it was left to the setter's discretion, which I thought was fine. Then the rules changed (not only in the Listener). The problem with rules is that they need to be consistently applied, and that is not always the case. I would much prefer these things to be left to the setter's discretion. It's not as if the rule makes clues easier to solve - in fact I can recall some examples where it made things harder.
On the "train tracks" puzzle, I have traced a path that conforms to the numerical and other constraints, and I have traced another, slightly different path that conforms to those same constraints. Oh dear!
In the past there was no rule about this and it was left to the setter's discretion, which I thought was fine. Then the rules changed (not only in the Listener). The problem with rules is that they need to be consistently applied, and that is not always the case. I would much prefer these things to be left to the setter's discretion. It's not as if the rule makes clues easier to solve - in fact I can recall some examples where it made things harder.
On the "train tracks" puzzle, I have traced a path that conforms to the numerical and other constraints, and I have traced another, slightly different path that conforms to those same constraints. Oh dear!
Related Questions
Sorry, we can't find any related questions. Try using the search bar at the top of the page to search for some keywords, or choose a topic and submit your own question.