Listener 4150 - Garden Scraps by Colleague

[starwalker]

A rapid grid fiil brings the reward of a visit to the sherry decanter before attempting to make sense of the preamble. It's a risky strategy, but someone has to try it.
On reflection, I think I boobed on Colleague's offering last year, so more care needed this time (and perhaps less sherry).

[bobbycollins]

I got the "Merry" from a french word of that meaning - rendering the "descendant" redundant - so I haven't fully understood the wordplay methinks.....

[bobbycollins]

....unless the first letter of the entry can be construed as "descendant"?

[Clamzy]

Yes Bobby - are you sure your ancestors were not O'Collins:-)

[billscouser]

I must be the most stupid person on the planet. I guessed the theme from the title, filled the grid without to much trouble on Friday night. PDM on Saturday re the clashes and spotted the wound up protagonists. Have spent several days trying to work out what the symbol might be. I cannot see how on earth I can get the obvious one from the lines through the clashes and rotating two letters. I am somewhat discouraged as everyone has found it so easy. I must be missing the blindingly obvious.

[Patch49]

Take heart, Billscouser, as it's taken me till this afternoon to work out the symbol.
My copy of Saturday's Times seems to have gone missing. Can I print the grid from the Crossword Club page and submit that?

[billscouser]

Obviously I meant too much trouble - just a typo

[BlackHugh]

patch49 - yes I do that every week

[easterfool]

Wow. Finished this already apart from one little niggle. The colouring or to be more precis the non-colouring - does that mean that the letters can't be written in either? Surely not? But then how can I make it clear that I found the right protagonist?

Thoroughly enjoyed this otherwise - being for one protagoniat now linked to the other. When the appropriate pdms came theer were many smiles. Like the rotations. I wonder what happens if you use other letter forms.

Thanks a lot Colleague. I don't remember ones from him/her before. Is that my memory going off again? Still not finding the reason behind Merry extra in 37, but certain of the result. Hate that situation - like others. I don't feel that I have really succeeded in these circumstances. Ah well - perhaps inspiration or a hint will come.

[Clamzy]

Easterfool - see above.

[easterfool]

Thanks Clamzy - how thick of me. That's every clue solved and understood. Now for the cell colouring!

[contendo]

For those who didn't see it, here's a lovely clue from yesterday's Telegraph Toughie:
Plastic explosive in America fatally damaged organ (4,2,3,5).
Easterfool - to show you found the protagonist I suggest a pencilled line joining the letters.

[jabone]

billscouser I'm with you; that makes me feel better anyway!

[ichkeria]

"Plastic explosive in America fatally damaged organ (4,2,3,5). "

Nice, and probably worth the liberty of plastic = soft(?) and "organ" for a newspaper in general.

[IainGrace]

Call me a pedant but BRB - which I thought stood for Big Red Book rather than Big Red Brick - is an abbreviation rather than an acronym, as the BRB will doubtless confirm. (You're a pedant.)

[Ruthrobin]

You're a pedant!

[easylistener]

You're definitely a pedant! Get help!

[aldanna]

Isn't everyone who does the Listener Crossword a pedant?

[borealis]

Yes, but they are riant pedants!

[cruciverbali]

Easterfool - if you omit the letters from the coloured cells you are sure to be marked wrong. Similarly for the uncoloured cells on t'other side - I'd also resist delineating these as it generally isn't wise to embellish Listener crosswords where not requested, and it's not really possible to complete this puzzle without recognising their significance.

[IainGrace]

Borealis, a degree of riancy intended, but I suppose posts do not have a tone of voice..................