Listener 4083: Not as Mad as It Sounds? by Bandmaster

[Zabadak]

At first the high proportion of short words is a bit daunting - but for the most part the clues are fair, even if in one instance a little vulgarity (in my and Chambers' opinion) creeps in. A good enjoyable solve with a pleasing conclusion which probably excuses (and made necessary) all those short clues. I liked the coinage too. Thanks and appreciation to Bandmaster.

[Cruncher]

Chambers defines "broad" as giving harmony to the whole, so I reckon that it was reference to resolving clashes so as to give real words for both across and down answers.

[milford15]

When I had about 8 clashes, I found it difficult to work out the American, and was stuck with the other clues, so I Googled the 'answer to 6D' plus 'quotations' and got the name and quotation very quickly that way. Hope that helps.

[Ruthrobin]

Not sure I like yours, though, Shelouse!

[Jogler]

Got to the end of this one quite quickly but completely failed on the last clash - knew roughly where it would be; checked all answers; then had a 'doh' moment. It couldn't be defined as anything as classy as a pdm! Despite all that, enjoyed the puzzle as it had plenty to keep both halves of the Jogler team busy.

[bobbycollins]

Finished the grid on Sunday but am defeated by the very final step (often the case). I guess that I'm getting too old for lateral thinking.

This is yet another puzzle that has seen me asking Amazon to send me a previously unknown work of art - the first was Tallis' "Spem In Alium"

Some very tricky clues and none the less enjoyable for that. Surely the vulgarity is only of the rather mild variety?

[AndrewG-S]

Jogler, any clues as to why you would have a land's end sign post as an avatar?

[bobbycollins]

and on the subject of vulgarity.....

This one from "Mephisto", Tim Moorey I think, from a few years ago, takes some beating:

"One taking tots out, but not tits out" (7 - hyphenated)

I mailed him to ask how he had got it past the editor, and he was as surprised as I was that he had.

[Jogler]

Andrew - the clue is slightly in the mnemonic. We could have posted John O'Groats signpost instead - we had left it 49 days previously. Mileage is a bit out; my boots registered 917.

[AndrewG-S]

Well done, quite a feat and on my list of to dos (that I will probably never get around to) as well

[Zabadak]

For BobbyCollins: Indeed the vulgarity is mild, which is why Chambers calls it vulgar and not obscene or taboo! I was intrigued to see the American version uncovered here - not one I knew.
Tim Moorey gets quite a lot past the censor, with variations on elbow cropping up a fair bit. Curiously, here elbow gets past the censor, but the American a*s doesn't, even when it just means donkey.
And I still haven't worked out that tots clue!

[Zabadak]

And I also see that the censor here has learned about British arses (or do I have to put a*ses?) with the rather humorous (or should that be humerus?) elbow substitution. Nice to see a word fascist with a sense of humour.

[jacinth]

I made a late start to this and for a while I thought it would be my first non-finish of the year. I had the American and the quotation but I was missing about four or five grid entries (sort of in the two o'clock area). Got them eventually and the ending was neat and made me smile. I can get on with looking for an avatar now! Thanks Bandmaster.

[shelouse]

Having neatly filled in my grid in it occurs to me that the 'broadly similar effect' in the preamble refers to the fact that the majority of the altered answers in the final grid are in the same direction.

Zabadak, your mention of donkeys etc - there was a complaining leter to the Times a couple of years back from someone who, not knowing the word onager, googled a Times2crossword clue "wild Asian ass" and was upset by the results.

[bobbycollins]

Sorry, Zabadak, the clue length is (8 - hyphenated)

d??-????e

[Zabadak]

Quite: how did he get it past the censor? I had assumed there was an anagram in there somewhere rather than a mildly risqué/vulgar direct reference to one who kept her thrupnies under wraps. Such fun!

[Ruthrobin]

Clearly I am not coarse enough minded but I still can't solve that one - please be more explicit as we are really intrigued - you don't spell dum blonde that way do you - and anyway, what has she to do with it?

[daagg]

RR, the answer itself is not rude at all - just the clue. The first word is "dry" (I think). Now if only I can decide what picture to use.....

[daagg]

PS, Jogler - what does the "r" stand for?

[Ruthrobin]

Thank you to those who have explained it to me - a great clue, I think.

[Jogler]

Daagg - the r is just a derivation - as in 'one who has jogled'!