Listener 4042: How to Put On a Little Weight by Charybdis

[midazolam]

A while since Charybdis' last Listener (The difficult "Wot no Lines?" in 2007)

The grid fill here is much easier, and the quotation was got only after 12 entries. We are left with an ambiguity that raises the question: how many happier discoveries are we meant to highlight? The last cell of the first discovery (5 letters) has 2 intersecting happier discoveries.
Also, the second happier discovery I would say is not strictly a happier discovery.

I was hoping that something was going to be done with the "large" central cell, sadly no.

[s436]

"The last cell of the first discovery (5 letters) has 2 intersecting happier discoveries."

I agree that this ambiguity can be resolved as one of the options is an existing grid entry.

There is, however, another ambiguity concerning the second cell of the first discovery. I assume that can be resolved as only one of the options is in Chambers. Leaving four, and I think two each of two types, although the precise meaning of one of the four eludes me.

[Clamzy]

No-one seems to have responded to robinruth's interesting observation about the last of the happier discoveries being either 4 or eight letters - both fitting the theme. I have opted for the more obvious 4 letter word but wonder about another red herring. Or maybe the setter just didn't notice.

[s436]

I think that's probably the right one. While the 8-letter version seems quite feasible, the full term itself doesn't appear in Chambers, as far as I can see.

[Speravi]

Another enjoyable workout, if a little gentle. It seems quite a while since we had a puzzle that lasted more than a couple of sessions.

I thought that the reference above to "old hacks" was gratuitously offensive. Further, no one was seeking reassurance, so much as engaging in a mature discussion and analysis. I won't speculate as to what actuated the author's childish name-calling, but his (or her) choice of pseudonym may be suggestive.

[Deviant]

I thought that this was one of the easier Listeners I've done, but perfectly enjoyable for all that. Just hope that the stinker that's due does not occur when I'm abroad in 3 weeks time.

I did have to double-check that the middle letter of the first new discovery was not be highlighted. It looks odd without that square highlighted, but sobeit.

[mad max]

Another enjoyable one, more my level, now back to last weeks, only solved 12 clues so far.

[turnerjmw]

Not my sort of puzzle, I�m afraid. Pedestrian till the end, where there is an ambiguity, as Deviant says, over whether to highlight just the happier discoveries, or the previous one as well. Given that both are mentioned in the part of the sentence before the semicolon, I don�t think it can be conclusive.

I am pretty sure that the correctly highlighted words share the same structure, which would probably rule out robinruth�s interesting idea, and some of the other �red herrings� which have already been discovered in the clueing, but I find the latter by their nature undesirable. What is obvious to the setter may not be so to the solver, and it needs a clearer pointer than a structural similarity which is not hinted at, and has to be inferred from a previous discovery, to confirm what is needed. In weeks like this I�m thankful I don�t submit them.

A shame, really, because the wonderful quote was ripe with possibilities, and deserved better (he says as a solver). This week�s Inquisitor was a much more ingenious and, dare I say it, Listener-like challenge.

[segue]

Ditto here mad max, although struggling with 46d (in which I have a 'Z' which I think must be wrong) and one or two others, and only 6 clues from last week, just never got going. But it's encouraging to have had a few puzzles from the easier end of the spectrum - just about doable by a young hack like me. Happy to miss some of the harder ones while I'm on holiday!

[Mysterons]

Highlight each such (happier) discovery = 4 in total (5-1), with no instruction to highlight the 'little weight'. If Charybdis had intended otherwise, he would surely have omitted the word such from the preamble ?

[s436]

We don't need to highlight the "weight", I think that's been agreed now.

Segue, it's not giving much away to agree that your "Z" should be discarded. The clue is three words, of which we're told one will be "extra". I've never met a two word clue that wasn't a dd. I also note that it's rarely wise to be fooled by capitalisation.

[shelouse]

Segue - go back to the drawing board with (unclued) 49a, considering the Chambers definition of 16-17, which cites the 3 types of thing of which the unclued entries are examples.

A nice puzzle. Once again I agree with Robinruth: much prefer the subject matter to football (or baseball, come to that).

[jacinth]

Segue - if you have Bradford's, it's very helpful with 46d (and many others...). I can't recommend it highly enough.
Sadly, my 2006 Chambers doesn't seem to have 16-17. Maybe one day I'll win a slightly paradoxical 2008!

[Clamzy]

Jacinth - Have you looked under 17?

[jacinth]

Aha! Thank you Clamzy. I had finished, but now I'm far more comfortable with the unclued lights.

[naomirod]

turnerjmw Finished the Listener before The Inquisitor_that must be a first.Any hints on that bottom line or is my number up?

[midazolam]

the top right hand corner might be associated with that number in relation to the title, naomirod

[turnerjmw]

naomirod, there is a thread which probably gives you everything you need here.

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Quizzes-and-Puz zles/Question782599.html

midazolam's hint is far more elegant, but doesn't give chapter and verse in the same way, so perhaps try that first, and go to the thread as a last resort!

[nigel2]

An enjoyable puzzle and an elegant feat of construction and thematic sleight of hand by Charybdis. I don't understand, however, why Charybdis did not specify in the preamble the word length of the five different "discoveries" to avoid unnecessary ambiguity and endless headscratching on sites like this!

[cluelessJoe]

Segue - I think I see where you are coming from, as I too flirted with 'mazards' as a possibility for 49 across ... ditch the European cherries and look to somewhere much more exotic for that particular ingredient.

[emcee]

A puzzle I intend to recommend to a friend who believes she "can't do the Listener". I think the grid-fill was reasonably straightforward, the highlighting I'm afraid I found quite poor and am still not convinced I'm right. My four happier discoveries share the same construction but there is only a 'loose' connection between them.