Listener 4261 Chefs By Cubic

[BobHWW]

A nice gentle solve after last week's rather tough one. Sneaky title!

[Monkmonk]

The title was very amusing.

[emcee]

I'm obviously not 'tuned in' to this yet as I'm finding most of the clues quite difficult!

[jim360]

A completed initial grid and a pretty good idea of where the relevant shape has to go, but no idea how to complete the remaining gaps.

[Alekhine]

Yes, enjoyable enough. Some nice clues .. especially 37A and 10D. And I loved the title.

Thanks to my tardiness in finishing off 4260, that's two Listeners completed in a day.

Champagne anyone?

[Ruthrobin]

Yes, a great title. Nice and easy and a good one for any Listener newcomer. Emcee, don't forget there are extra letters in the wordplay. That helped us to a very speedy solve.

[contendo]

The hardest bit is drawing the shape.

[emcee]

Thanks RR but I have a full grid now. Just the staring to do...

[Scorpius]

I filled the grid without too much difficulty but I can only assume the quotation's a red herring, since I cannot see anything remotely matching (even partially) characters in the source of the quotation.

[trux]

Yes, gridfill was speedily completed but grid-staring fruitless for far too long (and, if I'm honest, even after finding what's required, I think rather obscure to most mortals). By far the best bit for me was the title.

[Scorpius]

In the light of Trux's comment I shall stare no longer, put the puzzle aside and count this as one of my failures. There are limited options for a symmetrical shape as per quotation of 32 cells, and I see nothing but gobbledygook wherever I look. I'm pretty sure reading about the source of the quotation on Wiki has been a waste of time as far as the puzzle goes. Give me a tough one such as Mango's any time, where there endgame is relatively transparent.

[starwalker]

Another one with a fast grid fill, closely followed by lots of hard staring and then a self-kicking. Doh. Loved the title more than the puzzle.

[jim360]

But what does the quote have to do with anything?

[trux]

j360: I suppose that the title of the work it comes from (sort of)) links with the rest of the puzzle....

[Texasetes]

Scorpius: You're right - options are limited. Precise placement of the shape is crucial.

[Mesnilpat]

Grandchildren-minding duties meant that I came to this one late today. I have a full grid and a quotation but little idea what to do next. Hmmmm, in the light of previous posts I may opt for hobbies and tidying the garden rather than grid-staring on this one.

[perseverer]

jim360. trux - there is a clear connection with the quotation - unfortunately cannot really hint without giving too much away

[emcee]

Finally arrived at the solution. Very obscure if you don't know the theme. I got it from endless staring, recognition of possible words from one family and symmetry.

'fraid the title is lost on me so I won't be able to appreciate the extra mirth that this puzzle has already generated.

Pointless.

[TheBear69]

Hours of staring later, the pehhy finally dropped. Phew! Easy grid fill but very tough endgame. I find it amazing that some of you saw what was going on so easily. Yes the title is quite clever, but I think this is a treasure for deeper reasons than that.

[Mesnilpat]

I've just done some more grid staring over a leisurely breakfast but no sound of falling loose change for me. I think the theme is too obscure for this bear of little brain.

[Scorpius]

This puzzle seems designed to obfuscate and frustrate at every turn. Having said I was going to leave it, reluctance to admit defeat made me pick it up again. Applying some logic I was able to deduce the precise arrangement of the shape. I will give credit to the setter for engineering the grid so that this is possible. Even then nothing jumped out until I noticed one sequence of letters that, if completed, would render a name with which I was familiar; I then saw two others of the same family. Since the names are unusual I don't see how anyone unfamiliar with them has much hope.
I thought then I was home and dry, but oh no! I cannot see anything that I recognize from the other collection of letters, which appear to have nothing whatsoever to do with the first set. I shall persevere, desperately entering various combinations into Google.

I think that in puzzles with elements hidden in the grid, the setter should give the solver some steer towards what to look for, but here there seems to be nothing. Even "three members of two families" isn't much help, given the title. They could vegetables and fruit.

Incidentally, on an unrelated matter, two clues are presented as & lits, but I don't quite see how a clue in which the wordplay generates an extra letter can be & lit.