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

[midazolam]

http://www.theanswerb...s/Question892444.html

[starwalker]

Agreed Midazolam, this is much more straightforward than usual for Ploy. I am still trying to find one of the pairs of extra letters, but it really isn't necessary. Everything is in place.

[Zabadak]

I found this one frustrating: I think I have it all, but in order to find one missing pair of letters I was reduced to searching the text of the clues in Word. The trouble with two letter, for the most part real, words is that their presence in a clue can be highly ambiguous. The word "is" for example, could be seen as superfluous in several clues, even though it may not be one of the pairs we're looking for (see how I strain not to "give anything away"!). Oh well.

[Zabadak]

I'm not sure that the clashes can be resolved unambiguously without the two word phrase. One way of reading the instructions might be that four resolutions are done with preference to down clues, and four to across clues. There is no necessity (from the rubric) to produce real words (or indeed not to).

[midazolam]

I think I might confuse people creating 2 links. I have put a link above to the crosswords section rather than the quizzes & puzzles section

Zabadak I understand what you referring to as I thought there were 2 clever anagram indicators until I realised they actually have the extra letters in them. I finished the crossword and all the denouements before getting all the extra letters so it can be resolved as there is an obvious common link.

[Zabadak]

I agree, though one version of my finished grip ended up with improper words (wrong!) until I got the phrase almost by accident and (I think very much like you) chased down the last pair of letters.
Equally, if you can spot the author, the quote's not too tricky, and perhaps that's the thing with this one: you can indeed get to the destination without following the route. And yes, the clues for the most part are around a Times cryptic level on a relatively easy day!