Listener No 4422: Buried Treasure By Poat

[AHearer]

Sod's law dictated that the last couple of clues that resisted my attack included clashes, so I had to resort to reverse logic from a guess at the instruction to nail those. It took me a while to get into Poat's mind in some of the clues, but overall a very pleasant experience. Many thanks, Poat.

[Ruthrobin]

Very much the same here! Working backwards from a guess at the instruction and having tremendous difficulty working out which were unchecked letters without missing any. This has been a very meaty solve with so much in it and, indeed, getting into Poat's mind for some of the clues has been a massive challenge - a lot of reverse solving. Thanks for the challenge Poat.

[Hagen]

After much toil I got to to the last stage, and after 90 minutes of staring at the grid I've given up. I'm pretty sure I know what I'm looking for and I've found (at least) one possible contender, though it doesn't quite conform to the final part of the preamble as I understand it. If I have got it right it'll be luck rather than judgement.

There's some very clever stuff here and one of the revelations goes a long way towards justifying the nonsensical surfaces of some of the clues, and the overall construction is to be admired - so I hope others had more fun with this than I did. Sorry Poat - I guess this one's above my pay grade.

[BobHWW]

I am with Hagen on this one despite some pleasant nostalgia once the theme emerged. Some very nice clues but I have at least 5 that I haven't been able to parse so far. The endgame, I fear, is what Mark Goodliffe calls GWIT - Guess What I'm Thinking - and although, like Hagen, I can see a possible solution, it's not at all conclusive.

Thanks anyway Poat and apologies if I've simply missed a final PDM.

[s_pugh]

A great puzzle marred by a totally ambiguous endgame. Deciphered all of the instructions to be left with a search for 4 consecutive letters in a straight line? Don't be too generous Poat. A Saturday wasted.

[IainGrace]

Hmm. Very abstruse clues. Not sure the effort will be worth the reward.

[upsetter]

In the same boat as Hagen and Bob.
A very good puzzle with some wonderful clues.
Sort of found the search area but suspect that the 4 letter word is not the obvious one.

[fyellin]

I'm feeling a little better that others are also having trouble finding the four-letter answer.

[Hagen]

I spent some more time on this and think I may have found it. I may well be wrong but if I'm right... HURRUMPH!

[upsetter]

Hagen - a few of us have come to the same potential conclusion.
Whilst it is clearly true in a literal sense, it is rather outside the normal conventions of the Listener.
A fresh look tomorrow and if nothing more compelling reveals itself we will have to resort to the Sherlock Holmes principle.

[starwalker]

I agree with what has been said so far. I found this to be much more difficult than I was expecting, and the grid-stare has rather taken the edge off any satisfaction, which I doubt was Poat's intention.

[AngryUncle]

Well, it's been a long time since I've been either Angry or just plain Ugly, but my choice today has been an easy one to make. I was prepared to make 'nice' comments (solve and appreciate every Sabre-like clue: check; understand and apply first instruction: check; understand and apply second instruction, chortling like a loon as the reason for the convolution of some clues emerged: check; identify theme and wonder how long the editors have been sitting on this one: check).

But then ... what? I know what I'm looking for. It's plainly not there in the form suggested by the preamble. I can't think of any synonyms for it. I can see a clue that more or less describes what I'm looking for, but that surely can't be it. I am, Poat, jolly Angry.

[upsetter]

AngryUncle you may be jolly Angry but we are Upsetter.

[Hagen]

Angry Uncle, I agree. Upsetter and I almost certainly have come up with the same potential final resolution, and if we're right it is certainly rather unconventional. Any puzzle where the final highlighting takes twice as long takes twice as long as a tough grid fill leaves me feeling rather annoyed, but I hesitate to call unfair as the first two contributors clearly had no problem with the final stage.

It's ironic that if I have guessed right, I twigged it after a night out on the booze. Perhaps the moral is that puzzles like this shouldn't be attempted sober!

[s_pugh]

I hate to disagree Starwalker, but I think this was precisely Poat's intention. Many moons ago my aspiration was to complete a Listener at all, once achieved it became to complete back to back ones. I guess my ultimate aspiration is to complete a year's worth. I suspect that this puzzle is a 'spoiler' to foil such an achievement, and it has made me seriously question whether I can be bothered with the Listener any longer. Rant over! ;¬)

[AngryUncle]

Upsetter, (the two of?) you have just given more entertainment than this wretched puzzle could ever have. Bon Mot of the Year, I'd say.

I think I *may* have found what you and Hagen have alluded to, although I can't see why the taking of drink as a source of insight should be ironic. What I've seen makes me think, 'They can't do that, can they?' It flouts their own guidance. JEG won't be pleased.

[Scorpius]

AngryUncle, the last two sentences of your last post are precisely the thoughts I had a few hours ago.

There's some really good thematic grid material that has been ignored in favour of what I can only describe as a trick.

[upsetter]

Perhaps this is Poat's way of getting us to think outside the box and that is the basis on which we will submit.

[olichant]

Think I've had a similar experience to many here. I love the theme, and I really enjoyed unpicking some marvellous, and unusual clues. I need to sleep on t very final step, because I have a couple of options and am not happy with either - including an option I think is alluded to above. But at least I have plenty of time before I submit. Thanks for the ride, Poat. And hopefully I'll get over the finishing line.

[pushmi-pullyu]

Finally got there after Upsetter's last post, but I call it a mean trick.

[s_pugh]

If the answer is what I suspect it is (and yes desperate to find the elusive 4 letters I spotted them there) I think it is utterly reprehensible. For a start the instructions (not communicated by the side of the puzzle but certainly in JEG's reports) are to trim submissions to a specific degree. Highlighting thus lost. Sorry all fellow solvers but I loved the challenge of the Listener for a number of years, learned loads along the way especially from the likes of Shackleton's puzzles but this one is thoroughly underhand. Doesn't someone refer to a Z-cup every now and again? Poat you have it in perpetuity.