Listener No. 4362: Spots, By Colleague

[AHearer]

I'm still a bit uncertain of the misprint for the fifth letter of the name, but have no qualms about the rest. Some nice clues, and a satisfactory endgame. Many thanks, Colleague. Now back to tracing Black Jake's route!

[icynorth]

Many fine clues here - I still haven't fully parsed a few, but enough to complete the puzzle.

As to the 'joke', well, it suddenly turned one of the most interesting themes into possibly the dullest imaginable. Thanks Colleague!

[jim360]

I think the "joke", such at it is, might be related to a red herring of sorts? One that distracted my for a long time before eventually the light dawned.

[aldanna]

Thanks for the hint, Cruncher. Not too much grid-staring, and now it's out of the failed pile and into the envelope for JEG.

[tristram37]

I have a completed grid but when I saw the point I didn't think it was that funny. I agree with Olichant about the Goldberg Variations. A classic performance.

[IainGrace]

Spotted, as it were, a 26 cell arrangement. Can't quite get the name or what is going on, nor the significance of the number 28. Presumably doesn't matter other than for intellectual satisfaction?

[jim360]

Different total from 28/ 26 -- wikipedia, among other places, confirms the total number of the objects in question.

[sunny-dave]

All done - enjoyed the gridfill - put up with the staring

Thanks Colleague

[IainGrace]

Thanks, jim360. If we have a full grid and have, as I believe must be the case, correctly identified the 26 cells

[IainGrace]

.........then we have solved the puzzle without understanding it, which is not ideal?

[EAChaplin]

IainGrace - think Jim360 is right that you need to read Wiki a little further to discover what else the discoverer discovered.

[IainGrace]

Yes, fully resolved now, thanks. Still seems an imperfect crossword because one could just stumble on the highlighting as we did.