Listener 4110: Contractions by Hubris

[Zabadak]

What a delightful piece of work, on a theme that I've been playing around with myself and which I will now have to shelve. Some of the thematics led to a lot of head scratching on the grounds that I knew they had to be but couldn't see how (with one exception that turned out to be a straight clue).
Not a bad curtain call: may Hubris' supply of celestial Listeners never run dry.

[mullingar]

Ah that's excellent! A genuine pdm.I believe that's the grid completed now to sort out the rest of the tricky stuff

[mullingar]

Bobby If I insert a preposition into the answer for 9 down it satisfies two parts of the clue but leaves the middle word unaffected. What am I doing wrong?

[mullingar]

I mean a conjunction Doh!

[turast]

What is EV? Everyman? I have a full grid. I think I've just cracked 9dn but am slightly concerned about the BRB's definition of my supposed untreated word. As yet I'm completely at a loss as to what the untreated versions of two transecting words in the SW corner might be.

[mullingar]

I've just checked the BRB definition of the untreated solution to 9down and this does resolve my difficulties Bobby. I had checked the treated word and found nothing to help. Now I see.

[mullingar]

Turast I believe EV is Enimatic Variations which it seems may be in the Independent on Saturday I've never tackled it myself but it appears highly recommended

[mullingar]

That is EniGmatic of course

[contendo]

Enigmatic Variations is in the Telegraph on Sunday, not the Independent on Saturday.

[midazolam]

dont worry bobbycollins he is talking about himself

if anyone wants a copy of Sunday Telegraph's EV then email me [email protected]

[Speravi]

Saturday's Independent Magazine contains the Inquisitor series, another very high quality set of puzzles which I commend to all.

[AndrewG-S]

For anyone interested I bought the Chambers iTouch/iPhone App this week (£5.99) and was pleasantly surprised. It seems to include the entire dictionary and allows for word (sinlge and multi letter) and anagram searches. It will not do the full text search and so from this standpoint is inferior to the CD-ROM. For anyone looking for a handheld device (great for holidays/trains etc.), I would recommend this as you essentially get Chambers with a search facility on a small device. No more packing BRB at the bottom of the case and hoping my wife won't notice!

[Lewap]

Hi all
Have completed grid, but still searching for contraction 12...I have 7 of one type, 3 of another, and 1 of yet another - if anyone can point me in the right direction it would be appreciated! Email [email protected].
Thanks

[Mysterons]

Your 3 of another should be 4 Lewap - at first sight 29 across appears to be a normal clue, could this be the one you need ?

[x_word_fan]

This and the EV provided two enjoyable challenges - if anyone wants another then have a look at -

http://www.oxfordtoda...ctions/crossword.html

It never used to be available unless you got .the magazine but is now on-line.

[rabet]

I have a completed grid, I know the twelve treated entries and how they are arrived at; in short I have completed the puzzle. But I can't see the theme, other than the vague and general suggestion in the title. Is there more?

[Ruthrobin]

Rabet, I believe the title can be treated in the same way as the theme words, and, as such, is quite clever. It would be difficult to come up with a better one (or so it seems to me).

[rabet]

Ruthrobin, thanks for bothering to explain, but as there are choices of "treatment" I am still wondering!

[mullingar]

Well Rabet think yourself lucky. I can find seven contractions of one type,one of another and one of a possible third . As for 29 across I can't possibly imagne how one fits in to the answer I have. If anyone wants to give me a nudge my email address is [email protected]. Ta

[Paula]

Hi, I'm feeling really thick. Have completed grid & have 6 identical thematics plus 1 similar plus 1 different. Struggling on 29a, 31d and 35a (have answers but not thematic). Any hints please to [email protected]

[contendo]

x_word_fan - Curiously enough Oxford Today have omitted the Distractions crossword from the current number (and the answer to the last one), so it's nice to know that it's available on line. I hope it's better than the last EV, which I think had a hopelessly mangled endgame.