Listener 4165, Variation on a Theme by Nibor

[dr b]

Not much here to cause any grief this week, I think. Not too high on the difficulty scale, but enjoyable anyway.

Now I have no excuses for the afternoon and will be forced to finally clean out my gutters. 65 degrees today - 40 on Sunday. I guess I'll get busy.

[borealis]

Nice. Starting was fine, but there was some hard work before finishing, even when the theme was apparent. Some lovely indirect definitions in the clueing. Quite a few entries and/or wordplays were unfamiliar - which I always enjoy. Yes, Midazolam, I kept noticing the high number of proper nouns, and wondered if they were to be used in some way at the end.

I’d have to disagree with Nibor claiming this as a four-line verse, though. Perhaps highlighting the fifth line would’ve been a bit interminable?

Thanks, Nibor!

[midazolam]

Upsetter

1. No
2. Yes

[Walterloo]

Hmm. The highlighting is proving to be troublesome. I think I'm trying to overcomplicate it but if the preamble is to be taken literally, that the first two words of the verse are included in their entirety, then I have the letters to those words spread all over. Which makes me think some letters are shared . . . ?

[contendo]

Walterloo, you're not the only one for whom the highlighting is troublesome. I am assuming that "original" refers not to the verse on which this crossword is based but on the text from which it is derived. Either way the distribution of the letters seems pretty random and I certainly can't see how any highlighted squares can be contiguous

[Walterloo]

Indeed, Contendo. I've even printed a blank grid and written only those letters that make up those two words and I still can't see it. I know the original verse very well and have also looked for certain shapes to make with the highlighting but no PDM yet!

[jim360]

Actually the position of the letters isn't random at all, though you may have to think about it a while.

Anyway, I finished early this morning. My artistic skills leave something to be desired, sadly, but never mind. Made steady progress through the grid until I got hampered by failing to appreciate where the clashes actually were, and by my total lack of artsy knowledge keeping me from solving 5d. Oh, and the usual problem of words I have never seen before kept me from maybe one or two clues for a little while, but that always happens. Makes me wonder how anyone can solve these things in under an hour.

Nice theme, nice construction, not too complicated, and love the highlighting!

[jim360]

Should add, before it looks like I got it all by myself - the "bit of lateral thinking" you need to find the highlighting was hinted to me by someone else. Still not quite at the point of solving these things entirely by myself yet...

[abns]

I enjoyed the highlighting - it's definitely gettable but not obvious - just needs the penny to drop.

My only quibble was the two clashes - I didn't see that they added anything so it just looked a bit like poor grid construction.

[bobbycollins]

I too didn't see any good reason for the clashes- perhaps Nibor was simply anxious to cross-reference 47a & 7d?

Can only find one of the first two words, but am I bovvered? Sorry to be grumpy but I've just reached 60 so feel entitled. Mrs BC calls me Victor.

[Cruncher]

Highlighting was an ingenious touch I thought. Some elusive wordplay. Took a while to figure out 5ac and still puzzling one or two others

[TheBear69]

I too do not see a second word to highlight and nothing about the hightlighing of the word I did find strikes me as "representative of the original theme"

[starwalker]

bobbycollins - welcome to the club. In our house we have both Victor and Victoria !

[Alan7777]

I have spent some time looking at the completed grid but cannot yet see the two words 'in a manner representative of the original theme'. I think I understand what this means but perhaps not. will look again later.

[IainGrace]

Like others, found this enjoyable and not too hard but stuck on the final step. One is presumably to shade the two words and there is some thematic significance in the fact that the letters are discontiguous?

[jim360]

To those guys struggling with the highlighting - you might see a part of the "first word" near the somewhat disjointed word you will probably have already got. Then the remainder of the first word will be some way away, but at exactly the right place for it all to make sense. The highlighting is consistent in only one way.

[jim360]

And that probably doesn't help at all, sadly.

[emcee]

Have only just completed this after a (very) late start. I particularly enjoyed the highlighting and, in true Listener fashion, you know when it's right and can't be anything else! PLEASE no give-aways re: the highlighting - we should respect the ingenuity of the setter.

[iamamoose]

yes be patient and the P will D. I seem to remember another setter using the same or very similar gag a couple of years back ..

[rabet]

Everything finished ~ but I just cannot see the wordplay in 2d. Hint, any one?

[Philoctetes]

@rabet - spreader