Listener 3947

[cruciverbali]

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/games_and_puzzles/article2454416.ece

Do give it a try - they really aren't as difficult these days.

[GetOverIt]

Cheers Cruciverbali - I've cleared my " backlog " - so I'll give it a go !

[Christiana]

Thanks Cruciverbali. I've run it off but not sure I'll get round to it. Hope so, though. It's already got me interested.

[cruciverbali]

You are of course both very welcome - with so many cruciverbal demands on our time I know how easy it is to run up a 'backlog', so setting priorities is essential. The Listener always presents a fresh challenge each week, and has never lost its interest for me - in fact it can get addictive if you persevere. Good luck !

Cruciverbalist

[slaney]

Thank you..I think..cruciverbalist -- I should really do fewer crosswords, and not take on another challenge!
Intrigued by this one following the highly entertaining and lively debates on this site.
Have printed it after copying and pasting into a MS document, and am making good progress with the grid.....can you tell me if this one is easier than usual?

[cruciverbali]

The clues for this one are certainly easier to solve than usual. Having said this, there has been a trend over recent years for a regular run of 'easier' puzzles from time to time, and this is no bad thing if it encourages new regulars. The thing is not to be discouraged when a tough puzzle appears - do as much as possible and come back to it later. Sometimes the hardest part in a puzzle can be unravelling the mechanics of the 'gimmick', and I suspect that will be the case with this one. If you can complete EV regularly you should enjoy these !

Crux

[cruciverbali]

P.S. This one should not disappoint - one of the best this year with a literally novel gimmick.

C

[Patch49]

Getting easier? Maybe.. Even the ones that I think I've solved turn out to have an error somewhere. But nothing beats that Eureka! moment when you work out the theme. Unfortunately I'm still waiting for this moment on 3947!

[cluelessJoe]

Probably the best constructed this year & a live candidate for the setters' prize.
Patch49 .. I'd have echoed your post 24 hours ago but once you concentrate on the Central Region directive you should get a sense of what is required.
Cruciverbalist - are the Listeners published on line as a matter of course now? I always had the impression that one had to subscribe to have access to an online copy.

Happy solving one and all !

[cruciverbali]

They do now seem to be available routinely from Friday afternoon/evening at the Times Online site - just search for the issue number required. Solutions can also be checked there after 3 weeks. Of couse, if you wish to submit a solution you must subscribe or buy the newspaper.

Regarding difficulty levels, of course everything is relative, and it's hard to be totally objective. My feeling is that the 'gap' between The Listener and EV or Inquisitor is generally much narrower these days, and in fact I would say that EV 776 (The sin of the Beast) was a greater challenge than King, but then Mango are the kings of 'mathematical crosswords'.

Cruciverbalist

[cluelessJoe]

I suppose the stats just about bear out your suggestion that the Listener is maybe becoming relatively easier.
The annual stats for the past 4 years show average number of correct solutions at 402 / 498 / 491 / 439 per week 2003-2006 - so a big hike 3 years ago, but slipped back a bit last year.
Personally it's hard to say as I have only been seriously attempting it for 4 years or so. My success rate on puzzles solved 'solo' has increased from around 25% through 50% to a couple of years at around 75%. I put my improvement down to (i) having more free time (ii) getting to know what to expect and what kind of gimmicks to look for (iii) better resources.
The last mentioned is key .. I have used anagram solvers where previously I had to sweat, I can run a search on a few words to find e.g. a themed quotation whereas a year or two ago it was a case of rely on distant memory or hope for the best with the Oxford hard copy. I confess that my sucess rates would have been significantly lower without such electronic aids.
I seem to recall recently that another regular solver (bunstance?) recommended a CD version of Chambers, searchable any which way - which would probably add yet another dimension to solving capability.
So maybe it's more a matter of better solutionist aids and savoir-faire than a narrowing of the gap? I can't be truly objective as I have not tried an EV for maybe 5 years, and do not know of the Inquisitor (enlightenment appreciated).

[cruciverbali]

I must concede that EV varies tremendously in difficulty. Though most are tough, and lately a few have been on a par with The Listener, today's for example was very easy. Since its editorial change, Inquisitor has tended to follow a similar pattern, though generally not quite so difficult.

C

[cruciverbali]

However, this week's Inquisitor (39) is a real cracker !

C

[ichkeria]

It would be appreciated if people didn't gratuitously offer hints on these puzzles when they're not being asked for. It makes it very difficult for those who would like to offer advice in general terms,
There was absolutely no need, for example, to reference the gimmick in Listener 3947 here- it just spoils it for people who like to find the solutions for themselves, and who like to steer clear of threads where help is explicitly requested and given.