Listener 4123 Les Six by Raich

[starwalker]

Not finished yet, but the grid fill is going smoothly, the theme has been cracked and therefore some reverse solving can take place,but, the rugby is beckoning. Certainly one for beginners and newcomers to have a go at (unlike last week).

[bobbycollins]

Just came to bookmark the link. I'm in the same place as you, starwalker, although I suspect that plenty of our A List pals will have finished.

I threw in the towel last week but my friend intotheblue has sent me the solution - way over my head and I am in awe of those who finished.

[dr b]

I'm also at the same point, but not feeling very inspired to plow ahead. Yesterday's mega-Spectator was much more interesting than this.

[midazolam]

I suppose we can't have masterpieces like last week all the time. However some of the clues were challenging and I am still flummoxed by the wordplay of one.

I also think the preamble is misleading. It clearly says that extra letters are an instruction. Surely it is an observation/statement as it has already been done for us. We have only filled the gaps.

[starwalker]

Half time. Agreed midazolam, it is not an instruction but a "done deed".
All wrapped up now.
More rugby tomorrow, and time to watch it now.

[dr b]

Finally got back to this and polished it off. I guess to be charitable the instruction does instruct us how to make sense of the unclued answers. All in all, solid but not spectacular.

[Zabadak]

Happily completed as a break in thrashing through last week's, which I have only tackled fitfully. To be fair to the preamble, it does effectively instruct on filling in the gaps with more than just random letters.
Thanks to Raich, and best wishes to all.

[dead-eye]

not that sure this is for total beginners as was To...by Navajo.but the location is easy enough to spot.

[bobbycollins]

Quite gentle by Listener standards, but I enjoyed it.

Nothing ambiguous but I thought that the preamble relating to the twenty clues was a bit garbled. I only grasped the meaning after having solved the first of the type.

Greetings to all. Divided loyalties with this afternoon's footy (Everton v Blackpool). I still can't believe that Blackpool are in the top division but am delighted for my neighbour, a 77 year old season ticket holder.

[Rhone]

Finished, but can't see wordplay for 21dn - anyone sussed it?

[aldanna]

I see drb made the friday club by one minute! No chance of that for me, but I have the theme and am nearly finished. I am also basking in glory and (modest) riches as, feeble though I may be at the Listener, I have just won the January Club Monthly, which has the stupendous prize of £100.

[dr b]

Well, 23:59 is only 5:59 pm to me, so by my reckoning I had some time left (we'll have to examine the by-laws of the Friday club to get an official ruling on that, I suppose). Of course 100 pounds (can't make the L-thingy on my keyboard) is also $154.88 to me, so well done aldanna. Sic transit gloria Friday club, but 100 pounds will always spend nicely.

[tilbee]

A relatively straightforward run through this afternoon, much easier than last week. For once final thematic location relatively simple to find.

[AndrewG-S]

Enjoyable, some tricky clues but overall nothing too challenging. Bit of a welcome break really.

[contendo]

All done apart from the bottom left corner, and shouldn't the unchecked letters in 20dn be the same, otherwise there would be 2 possible solutions?
Those looking for a bigger challenge could follow Dr B's advice and try this week's Spectator (no. 2000), which is reminiscent of the Listener no. 4000.

[contendo]

OK, they are the same. My spelling wasn't up to it.

[Ruthrobin]

I only started today but took quite a while. I thought this one was fairly difficult. I think it often depends on the type of clue you find easy or difficult. For me the ones with one letter missing are usually solved after the ones with an extra clue. There was a fine red herring in this one too!

[TheBear69]

I think that the unchecked letters do provide an instruction. The first word formed by the unchecked letters is an imperative.

21dn was the penultimate clue I solved (30dn was the last). BRB has a one-letter definition for a word I usually spell with two letters.

[fyellin]

I'm still missing the word play for 31A. Fortunately, every letter is cross checked by a down, and the result fits as a definition.

[cluelessJoe]

bear69, think the point was that most of the instruction had already been carried out for the solver anyway, though there were maybe a couple of unchecked blanks left to fill.
Early Saturday club for me, and the first time for a while I have finished before cmpleting the previous week's (which I have been ignoring for some days now). May now just have to go back to it.

[PuzledBadger]

Hey, they're talking about us over on another message board:
<a href="http://www.boards2go.com/boards/board.c
gi?action=read&id=1296854591&user=dharrison">
http://www.boards2go.com/boards/board.cgi?act
ion=read&id=1296854591&user=dharrison</a>