Listener No 4413: Edit By Jago

[AHearer]

I thought this was a very nice idea, but I wish there had been more consistency. Perhaps it wasn't possible to find a fourth theme word that would fit -- it's not my area of expertise. Some nice straightforward clues. Thank you, Jago.

[midazolam]

Not sure I understand you AHearer. There are 4 theme words that all relate to their respective quadrants. The preamble is relevant in this respect.

Yes nice idea, but standard Jago quickness (too quick). One to entice newcomers to the Listener.

[Contrarian]

I think I know what AHearer is referring to.

Yes, all over rather too quickly.

[AHearer]

My point, midazolam, is that three of the deficiencies are of one sort of thing and the fourth is of another sort of thing. I was not questioning the presence of four theme words, but whether the difficulty of finding an appropriate theme word precluded constructing a puzzle in which all the deficiencies were of the same sort of thing (sorry - very convoluted - trying not to be too specific).

[olichant]

Nice to have something a little gentler after last week's mind-mangler (from which I am still slowly recovering). Thanks, Jago. I liked the idea very much.

[starwalker]

Jago is as reliable as ever. Very much for newbies and those seeking to help their claret jug chase, but still a potential for slip-ups for the unwary. Thanks Jago, that was a welcome change from last week's challenge.

[Cyrillic]

One of the removals in 19D seems to be in the wrong quadrant

[perseverer]

All seems ok to me, in accord with the preamble.

[rhona121]

Very straightforward and an interesting theme but what am I to do for the rest of the week?

I understand what AHearer is saying but the fourth quadrant theme word is consistent and relates to the title in the same way as the others.

Cyrillic I wonder if you made the same mistake as I initially did at 19D. but the correct answer is in accordance with the theme words/preamble.

[upsetter]

Agree with everyone - we were perhaps lucky not to get the pdm until right at the end, but still a proper Listener.

[Contrarian]

"Very straightforward and an interesting theme but what am I to do for the rest of the week? "

You could try Maskarade's offering in the Guardian today. It's much harder and more Listener-like than Jago's puzzle.

https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/prize/26974

[Hagen]

I briefly shared Cyrillic's concern over 19 Down but I'm now satisfied that the removal is in the correct place. Nice to have a very gentle return to the Listener after a week off (I don't do the numericals). Thanks Jago.

[Ruthrobin]

The September Magpie has just appeared (you get six Listener-style puzzles there) and there is always an Inquisitor in Saturday's I then an EV in the Sunday Telegraph. My problem is keeping up with all the solving! Nice one from Jago - thanks.

Yes, I have to agree with Midazolam's comment.

[contendo]

Hello everybody. It always amuses me, after nearly 40 years of doing battle with The Listener, when I dip in here after a long struggle to read that this is a nice one for newbies. All done except for 22D which I can only assume refers to someone of unparalleled abstruseness. One gripe: there should be a limit to the obscurity of geographical references. One here does not appear in the big Times Atlas of the World. Otherwise a clever and well-constructed crossword.

[s_pugh]

Nice to have a straightforward one so as to free up time to get out in the Bank Holiday weekend sunsh ..... oh b***er! ;¬( Thanks Jago.

[petefoxes]

Nice and gentle, after a sleepless night had me finishing off last week's at 4am. Is there not a limit to the number of anagrams?

[Ruthrobin]

I think 'five' is what some editors say - occasionally six - but it does depend on the complexity of the theme and the audience you are aiming the crossword at. Obviously they tend to make a crossword easier to solve so become a feature of the crosswords of the 'easier' setters.

[contendo]

Re 22D, silly me. The name had other associations for me.

[HappyUncle]

Yes, a nice enough puzzle but decidedly at the 'more like this' end of the spectrum. At least Yorkshire didn't provide the thematic material this year.

[upsetter]

Thanks, Contrarian, for the reference to the Grauniad - it was more time consuming than the Listener, but pour nous ce n'etait pas la guerre

[IainGrace]

Been off AB for a while as we dealt with all the consequences of moving house - or, more precisely, selling one house in town, extending another in the country and then trying to fit everything into the latter. Been mostly doing Listeners although we ducked 4412. Yes, this was a pleasant romp, dispatched in a single sitting over a few glasses of red.