Listener No 4416: Up To 10 Items? By Wan

[AHearer]

I don't suppose you'd believe me if I said I'd had to break off to cook the supper, so I'll confess that with most issues resolved and the highlighting done I had two irritating letters still to enter in the bottom half of the grid, both arising from misprinted clues that I only sorted out by working backwards. I loved the puzzle -- there was so much in it (do I mean it was very filling?). Many thanks, Wan.

[Ruthrobin]

I'm the same, always have to break off to cook the supper and I know you'll believe me! What a lot there was in this one, Wan. We found some of the clues tough but enjoyed it and appreciated all you fitted in to the series of pdms. Thank you Wan.

[Scorpius]

An excellent puzzle. The sequence of exchanges provided a substantial helping of thematic material, some of which were distinctly out of the ordinary, all this in a perfectly formed grid.
And the clues are scrupulously fair, with convincing surfaces.

[perseverer]

Quite a challenging puzzle, I thought. I don't think I'd be choosing the first dish from a menu.

[olichant]

Super, superb puzzle. Thanks, Wan.

[Encota]

Crikey that was hard work! Had most in place yesterday but took me a while today to finish it off. Very clever construction with some nice features; some tough clues, especially the misprints. Thanks Wan!

[emcee]

Great clues, but not a favourite theme, and I felt the endgame a bit weak.

Thanks, Wan.

[Scorpius]

I've just noticed a couple of thematic items hidden in the grid that I didn't spot yesterday. I wonder why the preamble didn't draw attention to them. They complement something else and add to the grid's thematic density. It'll be a pity if other solvers fail to see them.

[perseverer]

I would think the 'not found in the grid' in the preamble is a hint that there are things to be found in the grid.

[s_pugh]

To say the endgame is weak is a massive understatement. I think I have the correct highlighting but it is far from clear. There were undoubtedly some clever clues but there were also some awful ones which stretched the bounds of fairness. Sorry Wan, not a fan.

[upsetter]

This otherwise excellent crossword appears to end with a whimper, the other gripe being that we didn't find the first dish and it didn't seem to matter.

[NickorWan]

Thank for the comments, and I accept the criticism.

I apologise to those who didn’t enjoy it. My last Listener didn’t go down that well either so I am clearly missing the mark. Truth is that I have been troubled for a while knowing that I need to improve, but knowing that I am not, and that I might even be going backwards. The negative comments, though sometimes hard to take, are valuable because without them I wouldn’t know where I am going wrong.

I will take a break to rethink things, and I hope to do better next time.

Best
Wan

[freiheid]

When I saw the preamble, I thought 'this looks like fun', and indeed it was, with a few knotty clues to unravel and an enjoyably intricate path to completion. It's true that there isn't any particular thematic point to the first dish (in relation to the second), but it's a great word. And the highlighting left me slightly underwhelmed, as I'm not sure it improves the puzzle. But Wan, don't feel downhearted - I guess the best puzzles have a very strong thematic integrity and that is something to aim for, but it was very much a fun solve.

[crucifer]

I really enjoyed this. Challenging but fair. It would have been interesting to have found a way of using (or hinting at) the first dish but there was so much going on here, I think, that its mild irrelevance can easily be forgiven (and it *is* a great word). I was held up for longer than I might have been by the final instruction but I didn't feel let down by it.

Thanks Wan. Keep up the good work.

[djawhufc]

Hi Wan

No puzzle can please everybody. I think it is admirable that you are open to criticism. However I feel that you are flagellating yourself when that is not necessary. Many people including me enjoyed this and the previous puzzle. Hopefully there won't be a long period of self imposed purdah as we need people like you who spend countless hours producing puzzles for us to enjoy. I look forward to your next workout.

All the best

DJA

[Cruncher]

Bit of an olla-podrida for me but enjoyed the tussle of the clues and their misprints. Don't fully get the final denouement but never mind

[Philoctetes]

I do hope we don't suffer a bout from food poisoning from solvers trying the first dish (which sounds revolting). I thought this an excellent puzzle,

[AHearer]

The fact that the first dish didn't lead to anything else didn't worry me -- the fact that the corrections led to a dish was enough, being part of the thematic consistency of the puzzle, and it was a great word. Please keep them coming, Wan.

[NickorWan]

Thanks for the positive comments. I didn’t mean my post to come across like I am beating myself up, and certainly not like I am seeking reassurance. I was just saying honestly that I am aware myself that a few of my puzzles of late, including my last Listener, haven’t been at the right level, certainly not at the level I would want. I do value criticism as long as it isn’t rude; the first comment I ever received on a puzzle in Magpie said that my puzzle was short of thematic material and that is imprinted on my brain now. I don’t intend to throw in the towel, just to take stock and see if I can learn from my mistakes and get back on track.

I love reading your comments on here each week and think it is a shame the numbers are reducing.
Wan

[icynorth]

Well, I feel as if I've learned an entirely new language after that. Great, tough clues, thanks Wan! I have huge admiration of you guys who solved this one within a day.

Only minor point is that one of the clue replacements doesn't seem to work for me, and I'm not sure if that's intentionally part of the theme.

[olichant]

I don't agree that the clues were not good. On the contrary, I thought it was a great set of clues, some very tricky, with good surfaces.