Listener 4085: If I've Told You Once... by Ploy

[midazolam]

Ploy gave us a relatively straightforward but interesting grid with "Signal Boxes" and it is the same this week. In fact there is more in the grid than needs to be highlighted. A very impressive grid construction once again, but the cluing is rather easy for listener standards. For those struggling with the extra letters (as I did) they are not actually necessary (although act as confirmation) as all the clashes can be resolved unambiguously.

Thanks Ploy

[AndrewG-S]

When you take out the letter pairs, does it always leave a recognised word?

[qwerty99]

Andrew, it always leaves a proper word. Two of the pairs are hidden in anagram-indicators, which still work as such after the letters have been removed. Cunning.

[tilbee]

Generally solution for most clues much easier than for a typical Listener. Completing grid quite straightforward (under 2 hours is very good for me) and theme quickly found - quote available in ODQ. Finding the missing letter pairs seemed Ok for me - but still confused about how to rearrange these to make a phrase. Assuming normal grid 'integrity' seems I don't need these to complete, but feel little frustrated that I can't see this/

[BlackHugh]

Just found the phrase - but if I interpret it correctly then surely "grid integrity" is not preserved

[tilbee]

BlackHugh you are probably correct. Especially when it says that the other 4 clues must be resolved 'in the opposite way' which suggests no grid integrity. But that would seem inelegant - in the absence of the two word phrase I cannot comment further. . Any hints anyone ?

[BlackHugh]

Sorry ignore that - (was looking at a little askew)

[cluelessJoe]

... off topic, but yes, still got the moss Clamzy.
Armillotox is partly effective, and the most enjoyable treatment is my Sheene flame gun - but the dreaded stuff keeps on coming back. Any constructive suggestions more than welcome (and don't get me started on the molehills).

[Ruthrobin]

Clueless Joe - for your molehills try scattering woodash (I assume you are burning wood somewhere) - it soaks into the ground, they hate it and they'll scarper to your neighbour's garden - honestly! :)

After a very late start and speedy gridfill, I was floored for ages by the well hidden letter pairs but, of course, it is important to find that two-word phrase, otherwise you are playing Russian roulette (almost) in your selection of one of each of the final clashes. A clever finish, I thought.

[teuchter2]

I too have had a very late start and am not at the resolution stage yet, but have nearly filled the grid. I am pleased that I got 10d quite easily. I,m struggling with 4d and 39a. I think I should be able to get the latter easily as I have got the first three letters, I hope. I used to teach Latin and I know that all the private schools in my neck of the woods still teach it - in fact it is compulsory in the largest of them. I know one of my grandsons is going to start learning it next year, so it is still on the go and I think very valuable for many aspects of life, but especially crossword solving. I've also done NT Greek which can help and my theology came in useful for 8d and 17d, but I haven't got the prayer bit of 39a yet, although I have probably been misinterpreting the clue until now!

[jacinth]

I did this sort-of backwards, starting with the 'bonus'. Finding the extra letters was nowhere near as tough as last week's missing/extra etc. letters challenge. I'm still stuck on about six wordplays on that one.

The last letter of 27d held me up too. Googling four words from the clue (in inverted commas) helped a great deal, the wordplay is then totally clear.

[Zabadak]

All the elements of 27d are also (word for word) in Chambers. Can't stress enough the joys of owning the 2003 Chambers CD-ROM!

[shelouse]

Anyone who is worried that grid integrity is not preserved by following the two word phrase may be assisited by using the appropriate appendix in Chambers - I was hung up on this for a while

[AndrewG-S]

I bought it following your last suggestion but I use MAC not Windows so it does not work - all rather frustrating!!

[shelouse]

Not relevant to this thread, but on checking the answer to Listener 4082 I thought that 31d (darer) encoded to XLFJF, but the printed answer has XUFJF. Other As seem to encode to L, so is the printed answer in error? I hope so, as I have already made two stupid mistakes this year. Any thoughts?

[turnerjmw]

It's definitely a mistake in the printed answer, shelouse.

[Ruthrobin]

Shelouse, they have corrected that error on the Times Website now. It is discussed on The Crossword Centre's message board where a few people were clearly anxious about that apparent error.

[bobbycollins]

Huge thanks to jacinth & Zabadak for my finally getting 27d. The CD-ROM is indeed a boon. I had intended to comment “you wouldn’t believe how frustrating missing that last one was”, but everybody here will fully appreciate the feeling.

[Zabadak]

For Andrew: apologies for promoting PC products to a MAC user. For what it's worth, I have once loaded Chambers onto an elderly Windoze laptop that I got for free, still running W98 2nd edition. Once I'd remembered how 98 worked, it was fine!

[cluelessJoe]

Ruthrobin, thanks for the mole tip - will try but as the neighbour's garden is 100 yards+ away, I suspect they might just decamp to another part of mine!
Thanks for the switching dictionary tip in quinapalus Midazolam .. it's also worth mentioning that you can do a jumble search in there without having all the sets - I was missing one of the letter pairs but tried using the other five and ended up with just two possible suggestions to choose from, so not too hard to decide which was the right one.

[x_word_fan]

Eventually all done and highlighted BUT - I am worried about a clash in 4 down which, when resolved, does not give me a word.