Listener 4254 (Political Correctness Gone Mad By Waterloo)

[Alekhine]

Almost midnight and no thread yet?

Something wrong, surely? This wasn't that hard.

[Simplex]

Well I've filled the grid, but I still have to fully convince myself of some of the wordplay. I thought it was moderately difficult, but some humour as well. I liked 3 and 5. Thanks, Waterloo.

[TheBear69]

I thought it was a good challenge and quite witty, especially since we were not given the lengths of the answers before their sex change operation. Thanks Waterloo.

[jim360]

Rather like last week's in some ways, but with all respect to Dilwitch this was far better. No repetition, for a start, and with the wordplay in clues being far more helpful. Took me a bit longer to see what was going on than I might have liked, and for a while I thought it might be a grind, but turned out to be far more enjoyable. Thanks Waterloo!

[trux]

Had houseguests so could only look at this off and on last night, but found it very amusing each time I did; have now finished it off this morning. A real smile-maker. Plenty of wit, deft defs and very neat syntax in many clues. Big thanks to Waterloo for what I think is probably the best Listener puzzle we've seen from him (so far).

[emcee]

Ok. Easy to medium difficulty - two hour-long sessions culminating in a finish around 00:30. Second week running with nothing to do after a filled grid. Methinks this will be addressed next week - we haven't had a Sabre this season so ... who knows. Get polishing up on your Russian!

[jim360]

b or B ?

[Ruthrobin]

Oh dear! Not B or b again next week! Then a numerical the week after! We, too had a late start but this has taken us more than two hours - two very enjoyable hours with lots of amused reactions as sex changes appeared.

[aldanna]

I looked for a thread yesterday evening, having found this relatively easy and very entertaining. Had no idea how to start a thread so left it. Surely this must score well on dr b's fun-o-meter? Glad to have been warned about the forthcoming numerical as they always take me by surprise. I feel I must have beaten the odds by winning my second £100 from the Club Monthly in two and a half years.

[teuchter2]

Great fun and in the post. I got through this one fairly quickly once I realised that the wordplay was to the amended answer. As a classicist I would have preferred a different ending to the 'harangue' entry!

[Ruthrobin]

Chambers! Teuchter 2!

[starwalker]

I found this more difficult than most others seem to have. Perhaps it's a hangover from last week, or perhaps I'm just getting old ! A lot of fun. Thanks Waterloo.

[Scorpius]

A delightful puzzle from Waterloo. I know he's not to everyone's taste but I enjoy his quirky puzzles. I still remember "OO Spectacles!"

I don't understand 27 but as there are no unchecked letters I assume my entry is right, and I haven't worked out the original entry for 32, though I'm reasonably sure of my entry.

I'm glad I completed the puzzle before coming here since one of the comments above contains a spoiler.

[dr b]

I also found this harder than most, not helped by misinterpreting the preamble not once but twice. Still missing a few wordplays/original clues, but I'm confident in the final grid. Much preferred to last week's.

[Staurologist]

Agreed. Very amusing. Will the editors bother to publish an erratum noting the incorrectness in the printed title? was it carried over into the online version? Incidentally, there were no sex changes here, as some have suggested; as Merrill Perlman once observed "Nouns have gender; people, bless their hearts, have sex". Is the epicene composer really Waterladies or Watergents? And was last week's actually by Dilwizard?

[s_pugh]

A thoroughly enjoyable puzzle with some of the clues quite foxing (?). Like Scorpius I struggled to resolve 27a (and 39d) until the confirmatory PDM.

I was glad to complete this after the double shock of 4251 - not only getting a best answer accolade from none other than Dr B, but then to see in Saturday's Times that I had scored my first ever Listener win. Makes me feel rather sheepish (?) in hindsight to have viewed Unchless with such disdain. Thanks Waterloo.

[Scorpius]

Anyone with a completed grid but some unresolved clues should persevere with the wordplay of those. There are some crackers that are rewarding in themselves to sort out.

[bobbycollins]

Although I don't contribute here these days, I still have a nosey once that I have completed a puzzle. I am frequently humbled by just how easy these are to some folk. I found this a huge struggle - easily a five hour solve. Admittedly, having entered my sixties, my concentration levels have waned somewhat.

Regards to some of the old pals who continue to post here.

[teuchter2]

Don't quite get your Chambers ref. ruthrobin. The only relevant female entry in my Chambers has a matching feminine adjectival ending, nominative case of course. Come on bobbycollins, 60 is the new 40! I am further on than you, but don't find a significant difference in my ability with the Listener - mind you, I have never found it that easy.

[olichant]

Scorpius, I am truly sorry, and it was thoughtless - mea culpa. I have removed the comment.