Listener No. 4388: Cycle 20% More By Smudge

[upsetter]

Six answers entered after six hours of solving - anyone else doing better?

[sunny-dave]

Nope - it's a stinker - at the borderline of "deliberately/unnecessarily complicated" - I've given up for a while with just three or four clues solved and only a couple entered.

[elliemay1]

Can we help or do you have to have the crossword?

[sunny-dave]

You need the crossword - and The Listener thread each week doesn't usually actually provide detailed help - it's more of a general appreciation (or otherwise) of the puzzle.

But thanks for the offer, elliemay

[elliemay1]

You're welcome, Dave. Good luck with it!

[s_pugh]

Five answers entered after 3 hours. Is that better Upsetter? ;¬)

It is truly impenetrable and I suspect has me beat. Almost makes me nostalgic for number puzzles. Almost.

[Scorpius]

Just to keep you two company, I'm in a similar situation. After about four and a half hours I've solved seven, mostly acrosses, so at least I can enter them.

Having recently finished a Magpie D puzzle by Mr Magoo I'm in a position to say that was a doddle compared to this, which is at least Magpie E difficulty. I haven't encountered a Listener as tough as this in years, and I suspect I shall abandon if I don't solve a few more soon.

[perseverer]

8 acrosses entered and think I know the Creators, but I have been wrong before!

[upsetter]

We are up to eight now and also think we know the creators although we are struggling with the mid section.

[Contrarian]

I think I'm going to have to throw the towel in.

[s_pugh]

Up to 11 entries now but the Creators elude me. Starting to get an idea about the mode of entry though. By ’eck this is a tough one!

[Cloverjo]

Well, if you're all finding it tough, I don't think I'll bother looking at it. Back to the tennis.

[Cagey]

Gave up for a while after 4 solved, and a few suspected letter moves. Have guess for mode of entry, but that may be from over reading the blurb. It is tough. Tackled the magpie numerical instead, now down to 6 to get in it. Finding the current e grader in the magpie as impenetrable.
I normally post my listeners off every other week, two at a time.i think I will be sending last weeks in on its own to buy more time.
Not ready to give up yet, only an hour or so wasted on this one so far.

[AHearer]

Wow, that was a slog. I gave up last night after my self-imposed three-hour limit with just half a dozen across entries firmly in, and enough solved in the bottom right-hand corner to make a guess at the method of entry. Starting again this morning and using my hunch about the method of entry gave me a leg up on a few more acrosses, whence the creators emerged. Finally a few of the moving words in the downs started to emerge, and I could start doing some arithmetic. A few more guesses, and finally the full story emerged. Well, Smudge, that was a fine construction with some clues that would have been hard enough without the added complications: I thought it bordered on the cruel!

[tilbee]

Certainly some tough solving given the various devices employed, but managed to work through to a successful conclusion last night. Eventually it all came together very nicely, though still the significance of the title to work out.

[Cagey]

I think I am starting to make progress now. Enjoying this one.

[kdgs2]

It's definitely worth persevering - I had two answers after about two hours, but then changed tack. For what it's worth, I got the Creators first, and then Sign and Title were easy to search for, with the Contest following quickly afterwards. I know how to resolve the Plot, but I'm not sure exactly why. About 10 answers to go.

[midgler]

Am I missing something or has 32ac uncovered an error in Chambers (2014)? Check out the cross-referencing to the word that has lost a letter...

[tilbee]

midgler, there are about 500 missing words. A file of these is available separately on-line.

[fallster]

This is doable, but the toughest for me in quite a while. Not quite finished - still two cryptic instances to find and unravel - but likely to get there soon. It has been a very satisfying challenge. Thanks, Smudge.

[midgler]

tilbee, I think you've missed my point. Assuming you have identified the word in 32ac with the additional letter, try looking up the abbreviated word in Chambers. It says "see XXXXX", but that word does not exist in Chambers.