Listener No 4645 Fire Alarms By Chen

[NickorWan]

I am not sure it that was an easy grid fill or if I am just on the setter’s wavelength! Very enjoyable solve in any case, with some wonderful misleading wordplay.

I don’t recognise the setter’s name, so if it was a debut, it was a fine one.

Thanks very much.

[sunny-dave]

Another relatively simple grid fill - pleasant enough, but not exactly taxing - some nice clues though.

Theme emerged very quickly and I'm happy with my processing of the various instructions.

Thanks, Chen - plenty of time for Rugby watching now this weekend.

[emcee]

A gentle one this week and it was enjoyable. What seemed to be a perplexing preamble on first read through all became very clear later on.

Thanks, Chen.

[Hagen]

I echo the previous comments. Entertaining, enjoyable and elegant. Thank you Chen.

[Philoctetes]

A pretty interpretation of the theme, and a good pdm. Yes, the clues, though elegant, were not over-taxing, but by no means easy. Thoroughly enjoyable

[Scorpius]

A very nice easier-than-average puzzle, though one clue had me perplexed until the very end. My first thematic suggested another theme, but then that was dispelled by the second.

[HawkCrossword]

Yes, a puzzle on the friendlier side, but interspersed with some nice clues. Thanks, Chen!

I found one of the "signature" clues could do double duty as one of the "additional thematic letter" clues, but it didn't hold me up for long.

Considering the signature words, I might have considered using a different shape of grid.

[Cruncher]

I likewise found some of the clues fiddly, and was almost deterred by the preamble, but enjoyed the ADM at the end

[upsetter]

On our reading the first shading takes precedence over the second shading although we can't see that it is supported by the preamble.

That said, an enjoyable crossword with some amusing clues.
Thanks, Chen.

[Philoctetes]

Does it make a difference, Upsetter? All the shading is in the same colour.

[upsetter]

@Philoctetes - we thought that the signature colour for the thematic answers was different from the shading colour from the extra letters instructions.