EV 888 Title by Hypnos

[DocHH]

Hello EV N&C Wine Clubbers,
A little more challenging this week. Populated the grid slowly, but steadily, then pored for ages trying to fathom the relevance of the extra letters, still not sure, but have deduced the Title and shaded the 19 squares, and in my grid the shape could have 2 options!

[copelander]

Evening, DocHH, I, too, have a pleasingly full grid, but apart from knowing the name which isn't to be entered, I've come to an abrupt stop. A name is jumping out of the third row, but the other cells. to be highlighted remain a mystery at present. Time to leave it for a while, I think.

[novalis]

I'm with Copelander at the moment. Have the grid filled in; the obvious name is screaming out from row three but the other fourteen cells to be highlighted have me flummoxed for the moment. I don't know whether to attribute that to too much or too little of a rather nice S. African Pinotage. Either way any hints would be most welcome.
Just looked at our Quiz League table...and got a nosebleed. I'm not used to our being top!! It won't last though.

[AHearer]

If it's any help, I think the other fourteen combine a visual image related to the first version of the work with a name associated with a later version.

[DocHH]

Hello Copelander and Novalis,
Have you unjumbled the 3 answers clued without definition? A 13 letter anagram, making the figure that is not entered.
Zacmaster, I'm afraid your post has confused me.

[novalis]

Hi DocHH!

Yes, have the name and, hopefully, the work. Also have the main protagonist. It's just the remaining 14 cells to be highlighted which are foxing me.

[turnerjmw]

I can see only one shape (and thus answer) DocHH, and it works well thematically, but it could certainly be interpreted in two ways, as one thing or a pair, if you get my drift. Novalis, if you google the name and the title you should find the fourteen letters to be highlighted jump out, and if you google the title, the shape should become apparent. Quite a tough puzzle, I thought.

[copelander]

DocHh, Novalis and I seem to be at exactly the same stage. Zacsmaster...very enigmatic!!!,but not ringing any bells.

[novalis]

Hi Turner JMW!

I've tried googling the name and title as you suggest but I'm afraid nothing is leaping out at me. The shape(s) is/are the obvious one(s) I assume but I'm still struggling.

[ringer]

Well it's down to earth with a bang after a couple of very easy weeks. Grid sparsely populated but will persevere. Going into hospital for a minor op on Thursday so hoping to finish it before then as brain no doubt will be well and truly pickled by the anaesthetic!!

[turnerjmw]

Novalis, the first part of the clue to 3ac (as opposed to the answer) is also thematically related, if that helps.

PS I wouldn't read anything into Zacsmaster at all.

[Christiana]

Just popping in to say hello. I've made a start but like Ringer a sparsely populated grid at the moment, so not yet ready to do battle with all these shapes etc. Anyone got a key to Devadolly's DC, I might have need of it.

[Christiana]

Oh and Ringer, hope your op. goes well. I have visions of you suddenly sitting up in the middle of it, yelling Eureka, I've found it - anaesthetic can play some funny tricks on you, so you never know.

[Jogler]

This is my first post on your forum although I have been most grateful for your discussions since my first attempts at an EV about 6 months ago. I would like to bring a bottle to the party, if I may, and discuss this week's puzzle. I have populated the grid and deduced the 'figure'. I have come to a conclusion on the title based on the figure and the word that has jumped out of line 3 of the grid to rather a lot of you. I have also found fourteen letters that seem to go together in a vaguely appropriate shape that I can link with everything I have said so far. My Big Problem is the extra letters. These fall neatly into seven words that can be split into two definitions but I am at a loss to connect them to the title. Am I being really stupid?

[dr b]

The seven words provide two definitions. Figure out the two words that are thus defined. Now combine them to provide a homophone of a word that is an alternate definition of the TITLE. If that is clear, congratulations, as you probably understand it now better than I do.

Hi all, I was away but now am back.

[Jogler]

Ty ty ty. Was skirting around it but pdm came after googling definition + the title. Not a word that jumped to the front of my mind but blooming obvious when it did.

[ringer]

Welcome Jogler to the club! and welcome back dr b. I've been at the chalk face all day and so have made very little progress. Will persevere after choir practise if time (and marking) allows.

[DocHH]

Welcome Jogler, why has it taken so long to dive in and contribute to our N&C, (nattering and chattering) Wine Club? All are welcome here, eccentricity particularly welcome!
Dr b, Ringer says it all, but welcome back all the same from this Rambling Wreck!
Ringer, do you actually have any spare time? Your life seems to be a constant whirl of activity!
Christiana, I don't think you will need to get the key to DC. Devadolly has never mentioned if there was a spare one, she has always intimated she'd be there to welcome entrants. I am not sure if DHL, or any other similar agencies do a "next-day" delivery from an unspecified cruise ship somewhere in Amazonia to Portugal! If they did there might be an unwanted anaconda in the package! I'm afraid you'll just have to keep plugging away at the clues!! And that's what you should do Ringer!
Might be around next weekend, but not for 2 weeks after that, I'm off on holiday, so apologies for absence for then!.

[novalis]

Hi!

Have just refreshed the inner man after having been out all day and after having given myself a good kicking early this morning!! I was looking for the right shape but the wrong letters!! Nonetheless Turner JMW many thanks for your excellent hint, helpful as always.
Ringer, as one who has escaped the chalk face I know exactly how you feel.
Nice to see you back Jogler and to hear from Dr. B again.
Doc HH, I won't presume to speak for others but I'll admit to eccentricity.....It's one of my better qualities!

[copelander]

Strangely, Novalis, I was looking for the right letters, but the wrong shape ! Ignoring it for 24 hrs did the trick as usual, as it fairly leapt off the page today. I think a celebratory glass of amontillado before dinner is called for. Welcome Jogler, and all the best on Thursday, Ringer.