Listener 4156 V by Parsnip

[AndrewG-S]

An enjoyable puzzle, but nothing too challenging. Strange that no clue for 4a, at least not in my version. Anyway all worked out fine in the end. Thanks Parsnip

[JackDeCrow]

You mean you have non-crossword-doing friends who don't think that already, Contendo? I'm not sure that I have!

[Alan7777]

As a novice when it comes to Listener crosswords I have a chance to complete them when they are easier than the average and I was hopeful when I saw the initial comment - 'nothing too challenging'. Well I have the poem/verse, some of the substitutions but struggling to complete the grid and haven't yet tried the shading. Hoping for inspiration.

[trux]

Back from golf tour of Northern Ireland (highly recommended) and finished this off last night when able to access usual aides ... excellent construction ... neatly fitted together ... tougher perhaps than initial comments here suggested (Alan 7777 : read initial tercet of poem carefully) ... am ambivalent about 4A being there or not ... quite fun that it wasn't. Many thanks, Parsnip.

[Rogue-Elfe]

Yeah, I'm on the point a few of you are on.
Got every letter in the grid except the one with the '29' already in it; haven't got the meaning of some of the wordplays, and haven't got the 5-5 worked out yet. Neither have I got all of the shading; but I do have some of it. I agree - the 4a should have been there, but then how would it have fitted? If it had been a misprint clue, there would have been one too many letters for the end of the poem; but if not a misprint, it can't be one of the 5-5 (since we need to have ten of those!), so it would have been a floating 'normal' clue in the midst of the other ones; and therefore a big hint anyway. Poor old parsnip had no choice in the matter -it had to be unclued!

[Rogue-Elfe]

Out of interest, I was really REALLY hoping that this crossword had something to do with the computer game RiVen (Where the V is oh so very important throughout); but alas, it was not. Before you say anything, yes, Myst and Exile (in the same series) were much better.

[Staurologist]

Having just returned from an informative trip to Swansea, I found this an equally enjoyable outing, although I would have preferred it if the endgame had been symmetrically placed. And although the 5 + 5 are symmetrical, the switches are not. V = verse, perhaps. Or villanelle?

[Patch49]

Grid filled and highlighting found. I wonder why the last sentence of the preamble wants me to go a stage further and what is going to be helpful if I do.

[abns]

I found the "replacement" clues worked themselves out nicely - roughly half and half pre and post PDM. My only gripe is the lack of symmetry in the highlighting - I wonder if a 13 x 12 grid would have helped...

Loda's Inquisitor also comes highly recommended if anyone has any time on their hands - interesting subject and clever endgame.

[Patch49]

oh I see now

[borealis]

Late starter and finisher here, but I liked all of this. Some very accurate cluing. The preamble seemed marred by the “should prove helpful”, until I realised it had indeed helped me - not only in completing the last two clues but finding the highlighting. The “duh” moment arrived when I only realised after all else was done how the “opening three words” worked. It is a rather nice feature of Listener crosswords that the apparent order of solution suggested by the preamble is often misleading!

Good stuff, Parsnip - thanks.

[Alan7777]

I had almost admitted defeat but now I have a completed grid and the highlighting (should have got there sooner). However, I'm struggling to tie down the 5 in/outs and this means that I cannot be sure that I'm right with two of my answers that intersect. I think I'll have next week off!

[turast]

Regarding the title. I wonder if Parsnip was relating the thematic verse to Tony Harrison's poem, simply entitled V. They both seem to expound a similarly ferocious existentialism.

[IainGrace]

Or it could be an allusion to another literary work whose author is half a clue to the identity of the author of the verse....

[ichkeria]

I don't understand the fuss about there being no 4ac.
Had there been no 4dn, and consequently no number 4 in the first square, would it have seemed less odd I wonder ...

[easterfool]

My word, I did have to work hard on this. I had a few wrong clue solutions, so deciding what was to be highlighted was impossible to see. Then the pdm arrived because of the cryptic representations and suddenly everything fell into place. I am very impressed by what Parsnip managed and hope that I have everything right - so thanks to Parsnip, and to everyone else. I enjoyed reading your comments after I had finally made it to teh end. It made me realise what good company I have belatedly joined. Now all that I have to hope is that I haven't blundered - the comments about 33 have me worried. I reckoned that one was clear. Can anyone enlighten me as to the problem in some cryptic way?

[IainGrace]

Easterfool, you're fine with 33 as long as your grid entry doesn't end in "e".

[easterfool]

Thanks IainGrace. Isn't it strange how we (or perhaps that should be just I) worry about things unnecessarily? I'm glad that in general I don't read these comments before I have got to the end of a crossword or I would be spending ages solving clues over and over again. Now for the next one!