Listener Crossword 4079

[starwalker]

This week's offering is Sine Qua Non by Shackleton.
No one should panic that I have finished it already - I've only just read the preamble and feel the need for a lie down in a darkened room.
No doubt it will all make sense in the end. I have always found Shackleton to be sometimes tough, but always fair. Let's hope that this does not prove me wrong.

[rognov]

Quite incredible ingeniosity! But, although I think I've completed the whole thing correctly, I still have no idea at all about the message from the across clues. Indeed, most of the first para of the preamble is a bit of a mystery. I managed to find the hidden definition and, coupled with the message from the down clues, then went on to do the rest. But I remain puzzled about how to 'find' the two versions of the question (which I think I know anyway). I know how I got to the end, but I simply don't get the instructions I was supposed to have followed!

[Mysterons]

rognov, apply the instruction from the across mispints to the 2 blocks of down clues which contain no misprints - this will result in 2 versions of a quotation by the puzzle's subject, which in turn confirm the validity of the 'key' 5-letter word.

[easterfool]

Thanks to all - especially Clamzy and RuthRobin. All I have to sort out now is the key information being modified to provide a consistent rendition etc. I wish that I had paid more attention in the appropriate lessons at school. Perhaps I was too busy thinking of crosswords.

[easterfool]

Might have made it - Wow! Was listening to something appropriate (rather than sing) and inspiration suddenly dawned - if I am right. How does anyone come up with such a convoluted follow through with so many steps? My brain reels from everything that has been going on. I must sit down and listen to something gentle to get me ready to start this week's. See you later.

[rognov]

Thanks Mysterons. Sadly, however, that's what I've been trying to do anyway! I'll just have to apply more dextrous endeavour.

[Roundhillbob]

Phew. Hardest one I've come across this year - and I've managed most of them (did the next one as light relief in the middle). Don't aspire to complete all (best record yet about 20 right), but hope I'm getting better. Have to say main basis of improvement is having more time. This one needed more than one area of 'expertise' apart from the clues so was an exciting chase. I found the need to change an already highlighted (highlit?) entry confusing, but this was a delightful element.

[the_heisman]

I normally scrabble around in the lower foothills of The Listener but with great effort I have actually completed this one and I am absolutely stunned by the sheer intellectual feat accomplished by Shackleton. For what it is worth I think this series of threads is very well-judged, providing encouragement but not much direct help and the meaning of most of the comments only becomes clear after you have personally experienced the PDM.

[JonnyDarcy]

Whilst difficult and time consuming, myself and my father found this to be a brilliant and engaging crossword. Hats off to Shackleton for a very classy, multi-faceted compilation. Although time consuming, the result was extremely rewarding.

As a general point about the Answerbank blog, we have found it to be very useful not for the reason of acquiring direct answers to clues or riddles but for getting vague steers and encouragement whenever confronted with a brick wall. And moreover to understand whether a given crossword is 'worth' pursuing. I'd love to do the Listener every week but simply do not have the time. However, when a crossword such as Shackleton's gets high praise on Answerbank, it's invariably worth finding the time to complete.

Thanks to everyone (including Shackleton obviously!!) for their encouragment on this one, well worth the effort.

[segue]

Beautiful - and made even more exciting (not that it needed to be) by a race against time in the Quebec backwoods. I can only hope last post on a Wednesday (with which I am overly familiar) is still acceptable in another time zone!

Many congratulations midazolam. I should add that all your (and others') contributions on here are part of the fun for me and that I hold you all partly responsible for my slowly increasing success rate. Community is absolutely the right word for these threads - and I suspect gives more satisfaction than being all correct.

A belated Happy Easter all...