Listener 4245 Ghost Story By Plinth

[Ruthrobin]

Surely I am not the first to post? This has been delightful all the way through and I just laughed out loud at the help the Internet gave me. Great fun, thank you, Plinth.

[jabone]

I received my email yesterday (with the assurance that no more money would be taken) and today worldpay have emailed me to say that my card had failed (which it would have done as it has been stopped). What a shambles and how misguided of NI. I agree with Contendo about the solution - and then scan and email to others?

I have enjoyed the crossword, and the new item of general knowledge - thanks Plinth

[jockie]

Yes, a splendid puzzle, and Plinth is to be congratulated on getting so much to fit, and to keep it symmetrical (for me a big plus). Is Plinth new to The Listener? (The excellent website with setters' details is out of date, with 2012 still not entered - who keeps this up?)

[Ruthrobin]

I believe James Leonard, the EV Editor who recently died, set it up and maintained it. However, I think this is Plinth's first. I'd be happy to be corrected on either of those responses.

[AHearer]

Great fun and most informative. I don't suppose any similar games can be played with a 29-letter word that springs to mind?

[Arcticpenguin]

Does anyone know whether or not scanning the crossword and emailing to others would be a breach of copyright (or similar) ? Perhaps GCHQ or US NSA's Prism could help ! They seem to want to know about everything else.

[teuchter2]

Interesting to hear of other people's problems. My subscription does not run out until the end of December, so I have a while to enjoy the Friday club as yet. The idea of scanning and emailing did occur to me as well. I imagine that quite a few Listener devotees are abroad, and I have certainly accessed it abroad in the past. It just seems so unfair somehow. I can't believe that this change was instigated after serious discussions with members.

[dr b]

My email says I'm good to go until June 30, 2014. Not sure why it's so far off, but hey. I think I saw that the price is going to 104 pounds per year which at current exchange rates come to $3 week for me. For Listener, Mephisto and as many Times puzzles as I care to work, this is exceedingly cheap entertainment. I suspect I'll re-up when the time comes (or the Times comes! Ha!).

[Arcticpenguin]

29 letters ? Just as well we're not doing these in German - they've just scrapped "Rindfleischetikerrierungsuberwachungsaufgabenubertragungsgesetz" (all 63 letters of it). Usually abbreviated to RkReUAUG" !

[Cruncher]

Not a difficult puzzle but a sensational final PDM. Just brilliant watching that all fit neatly into place. Thanks Plinth

[jabone]

Have just read my emails and letter more carefully, and it says that WorldPay won't take payments from me on or after 1 July, so have just paid up for another year. I hope things change by next year; having an unwanted 'complimentary Web Pack' doesn't sweeten the pill.

[aldanna]

Loved the crossword, and a really good pdm at the end. Thank you, Plinth. Also very cross about the email. Do not wish to be manouevred into buying something I have never had any desire for.

[the_heisman]

I am not sure the comments about the evil Murdoch empire are particularly justified. It was a very nice facility to be able to buy a small part of the paper cheaply but there is no real reason commercially for them to continue to provide it. I would be quite happy to opt out of a lot of the paper that I don't read and pay less but why should they provide this? Like most printed media I don't think The Times makes money so they can make a commercial decision to do this - and we can make a commercial decision whether or not to buy it. I don't see that this is really a cause for "anger" amongst highly rational crossword fans. And there's always The Magpie.

[the_heisman]

And thanks Plinth for a great crossword!

[Philoctetes]

I have an almost complete grid fill, with one letter missing, and a question about "symmetrically disposed" which is not unrelated. Trying not to give anything away, is the phrase utterly symmetrical? I have a perfectly meaningful phrase, but, to perfect the symmetry, I would have to use a meaningless string which, unfortunately, includes my missing unch.

[aldanna]

I have to agree that "the_heissman" makes a fair enough point, and I have no real right to be annoyed.

[teuchter2]

I agree with the heisman to some extent, but it is possible that I could buy the paper every day and still be deprived of membership because I don't choose to subscribe, mainly because it cannot be delivered to me and I am not able to collect it from the same place every day. In such a case they would be losing money, so it doesn't make commercial sense. However if it goes up by the amount suggested by dr b, then I will not be going for it anyway.

[Contrarian]

Terribly frustrating, because I just can't make head of tail of the final command (to alter the phrase (which I have) in accordance with the revelation).

Hint, please?

[Contrarian]

** head or tail

[Mesnilpat]

Contrarian - have you tried your final phrase on Google?

[Ruthrobin]

Contrarian, contact me at [email protected] for an 'off-line' hint (as there is a lot of objection to Listener hints being given in a public forum).