Listener 4534 - A Secret Unlocked By Harribobs

[upsetter]

Satisfying grid fill and and an interesting theme identified which we are struggling to implement.

Thanks Harribobs.

[kdgs2]

I'm at the same stage - I'm 99% sure I know *what* I'm supposed to do, but haven't been able to work out *how*. Feels a little bit GWITty for the grid stare. That said, the preamble seems to be masterfully written, so maybe I just to read it a few dozen more times. Thanks, Harribobs.

As an aside, I'm starting to think we won't get another Shackleton this year, unless I get one for my birthday next week...

[starwalker]

Thanks Harribobs - that was a cracking end-game, about which I knew absolutely nothing until 10 minutes ago.

[kdgs2]

Finally over the line, after trying something that I thought must be too finicky to be true...

[sunny-dave]

Excellent clues, hard but fair grid-fill - then an absolute shocker of a final step.

Sorry - that's well beyond being just 'fiddly' and heading towards being unfair, I think - at least without a slightly less oblique instruction.

I know it's doable (because, in the last analysis, I did it), but I'm afraid it was a very good puzzle (with an interesting subject) which was sabotaged by an inadequate rubric/message.

[sunny-dave]

Sorry - just read that back and it sounds ungracious and much grumpier than I intended.

This was still a very good puzzle and an interesting subject

Thanks Harribobs

[IainGrace]

Still working on it but we see what one is doing with the ordinary clues. Is the political comment in the middle of the grid merely incidentally mischievous?

[sunny-dave]

Entirely gratuitous and very amusing, IG :+)

[Philoctetes]

I think there were enough hints to acquit the poor rubric. I first heard the relevant details in primary school, so they could be considered part of the baggage of an educated solver. Certainly no more obscure than some of the scientific baggage we are expected to have brought along.
And a Happy Christmas to all and sundry.

[Flocker14]

Got there finally - and realised how good this was. Rubric fair enough in a Listener context I'd say; further elaboration might have made it too obvious. Not familiar with the theme. When you think of the work that must have gone into setting that ... (makes that other thread even more annoying) - hats off: one of those ones which you groan about when solving but afterwards think wow - many thanks Harribobs and a Merry Christmas to all

[12barblues]

At risk of breaking the rules, that wasn’t very seasonal was it? Good puzzle though and it didn’t take me too long to find the right approach even if subject was unfamiliar and I wondered for a while if I was on the right track. Happy Christmas to all.

[olichant]

Really lovely puzzle - thanks, Harribobs. Beautifully executed and it can’t have been easy to put together. Weirdly, I did guess the theme from the preamble, but only by chance.

Happy Christmas to all who gather here. I think it's been a fabulous year for the Listener - there have been some superb puzzles.

[IainGrace]

This week’s Inquisitor is an entertaining and well constructed challenge.

[emcee]

The final stage held me up for some time despite having a full grid and the word beneath the grid days ago!

I was (for a good while) trying to do something with the missing letters to reveal the five-word message but, of course, failed miserably. I think the reference to letters "cut" in the preamble was a tad misleading -- the standard "removed" instead would have saved me much grief.

Many thanks, Hbobs, for an enjoyable solve with a frustrating endgame -- which I should have arrived at much sooner.

Merry Christmas to everyone who visits here.

[PhilipW]

Tricky puzzle Harribobs - ta. Fun did grow with a great Nina in a super Christmas gridstare.

[Hagen]

Honesty compels me to admit that due to festivity fatigue I didn't do this entirely unaided, and I'm not sure I would otherwise have made any sense of the endgame. Certainly it was very cleverly put together - this setter really does go the extra mile with puzzle construction, even though I am not always able to guess what he's thinking!