Listener 4100: Table-turning by Kea

[midazolam]

This is what the listener is all about. As soon as I saw Kea's name at the top I knew this was going to be good. This was a real challenge, the like we have been missing recently. Masterful construction with ingenious ideas in both clues and design. The best this year so far. Thanks for the brain workout Kea.

[failedagain]

S-matrix, don't be obtuse. You know full well you've revealed far more than your opinion.

[Clamzy]

And this used to be such a friendly place.
Indisputably KEA is one of the top setters who has won the puzzle of the year award, as judged by the all correct solvers, several times. Maybe we can emulate them and hold our own vote at the end of the year and see what the majority opinion is.
My own view is that this Listener was MAGIC.

[kwyjibo]

Kea was responsible for Safecracker, I believe, which was the best Listener I can remember. Personally I didn't even look for the author or quote until I'd completed the clues (bar one). Even if I had seen it I don't see how it would have spoiled the enjoyment.

[teuchter2]

I have now made some progress with the instructions given by the extra/minus/initial letters. Well I've got the first column. I've got an area in the bottom middle that needs a lot of understanding yet and am very puzzled by 12a, especially the crust in India. I suspect this is one I may not finish, but its nice to be still top of the league, even if only on alphabetical order!

[Zabadak]

I was late to this one, on a long weekender in Bruges, where I learned that, beautiful as the city is, the police have a quixotic reading of the parking regulations. So for once i wasn't "in the weekly scramble to see who can be first to comment on the Listener" -though I never comment unless I've finished.
I don't think this was one I could have completed on a Friday evening - even Midozolam missed out by 17 minutes!. Smashing concept, brilliantly constructed, great clues: I think it takes a particular ingenuity to clue nonsense words unambiguously as Kea did.
The final result is awesome: I can't begin to work out how you put it together in the first place. I found the final steps easier than I expected: there was a logic to the process helped by the quote.
And yes, I fell into the tease of thinking I'd solved the whole puzzle because I'd guessed quote and author (well, got them from google, like you do) very early on.
Put me in the "what a cracker" camp.

[AndrewG-S]

Just finished and found this very enjoyable, although not from my perspective the best. It was certainly welcome to have a tough challenge that took a bit longer, with some twists that I have not seen before.
Can I suggest that we draw a line under the debate above - there is a risk that what does get spoilt is the enjoyment of coming to this site!

[bobbycollins]

Another super KEA effort, and another failure by yours truly to get the very last step. KEA is truly way above my league. Thanks to my chum IntoTheBlue for explaining the result of the instruction.

Pity about the squabbling.

Oh, and a memo for CJ - I haven't forgotten TTRH series 2 - just been busy recently.

[bobbycollins]

Oh, and I forgot to add that I don't see from where the letter of the instruction at 30d comes

[Zabadak]

BobbyCollins - hopefully not giving anything away, this is where Scrabblesolver.net comes in handy, because it allows wildcards. Stick the letters you've got into the box, add a ?, and your word (and the derived letter) will either be in the 5 letter results or the 3 letter results - you know what it begins with, so you can ignore lots of chaff. If you already (from the surroundings) know what the letter is, it's a straight case of anagramming.

[tristram37]

It's taken me till now just to solve all the clues - what an incredibly difficult bunch they were! I think I've understood them all except the wordplay for 19 down; but now the final part, following the two part instruction, has me baffled. I can understand the principle but that's as far as can I go at present. Any hints (at [email protected], to avoid adding to the squabbling in earlier answers) would be more than welcome.

[trux]

Re : 30d - I think there are two possible and perfectly acceptable ways to arrive at the same answer (either by addition or removal) because of the unfortunate choice of definition. Of course, when you have solved the other 41 clues, then you can deduce which has to be the right method to level the numbers of each type up ... but that might take a while !

[cluelessJoe]

BC - many thanks & no problem ... happens to us all from time to time! Cheers

[Zabadak]

Trux: on 30d, I think only one solution gives you the letter you need. Mail me on [email protected] to keep the solution from prying eyes! And yes, there are 14 of each set.

[midazolam]

S-Matrix: calm down and get off your high horse. I accept your opinion, clearly I said "each to his own", "if everyones the same..". My objection was to your "murdered". You say I have been damningly towards other setters, then I apologise to them. I try and give criticism, but maybe I overstep the mark that might offend (e.g. saying it was too easy).

However, some of the comments you are coming out with I think no-one wants to hear on this board towards other setters. "stillborn" is outright nasty, and to say about a crossword "throw away in the bin" is plain unfair to Kea, despite how much you did not like it.

I am humble enough to apologise if I have offended you, but if you are going to continue to use very hurtful comments, then please leave this forum. I think others might concur before the "free world" speech is given.

Midazolam

[u10]

tweaker - there is currently a penguin listener book on eBay.

[Speravi]

I thoroughly enjoyed this, and I have no doubt that it will be a contender for the Ascot Gold Cup - I very much appreciate Wagner, too!

[contendo]

Finally making some progress, but my god it's slow going. Is 14 ac. a proper name I should know?