Listener 4021 Mazy by Salamanca

[Philoctetes]

Still no link, of course. But another that relies heavily on cold solving. And a lovely nod for the Classicists amongst us in the use of "boustrophedon". I suspect more such will appear.

[AHearer]

Yes, Philoctetes, this one looks like a real challenge. There seems to be no easy way. It would have been nice to know where the switch to across occurs, to have two points at which to start on the rest.

[Walterloo]

I have half the clues cold solved but absolutely nothing in the grid (getting 1 down would be a help, obviously, but it evades me). I like the look of this one though, and I'm sure it'll prove to be a classic but I can't get any further. This is my understanding of 'boustrophedon' in regards to how the entries are to be placed; the down answers go in first, alternately top to bottom then bottom to top until the across answers which would be left to right then right to left. Answering just one set of clues would reveal the others but 'not every letter is checked'. My lack of confidence in this theory is making me falter. My heart sinks!

[AHearer]

Yes, Walterloo, I'm in the same boat, and also stuck on 1d. My reading of the rubric is that the down-up entries are continuous as you say, but that the across do not run continuously (hence not all letters are checked). I'm assuming the across entries are all normal rather than alternating direction, but I'm prepared to be proved wrong.

I'm expecting, if I crack this, that the bous will reappear somewhere.

[BobHWW]

It seems odd that with the lurker there in plain view there is no requirement for it to be highlighted. At least that's how I read it. Anyone disagree?

[Cruncher]

Walterloo and AHearer: yup 1dn does help. It's a composite anagram. I'm not there yet but I have most of the grid filled. I shouldn't worry about the unchecked letters. They are few and far between.

[midazolam]

i agree cruncher: to make it even harder the answers are not continuous!

1 down together with the last clue is what got me going

[Scorpius]

The theme was easy to guess from the start so there was no surprise at the end, but a nice puzzle, nevertheless. Some tricky clues (especially in the absence of answer lengths) with one answer needing Google to confirm. A few clues struck me as slightly dubious. I also have a slight worry about the highlighting, since my �chain of entry and escape� goes further than it need.

[midazolam]

i presumed you end the maze at the point you "literally" cant go any further, at which point you turn around and go back the way you came (arrows at the top)

bobhhw - that is not what the preamble states and it would make a mess if you had to highlight the lurker as well

[BobHWW]

Quite right midazolam. Into the maze, go as far as you can, then back out the same way. The arrows at the top do confirm this, but early online versions of the grid didn't have them.

[Apache4D]

With only just over double figures in cold solves for myself (usual pedestrian start for me!!), I'm yet to enter anything into the grid.

Though if you follow the columnar entries I had assumed they end in top right corner, with the across answers starting right to left from there (as per definition of boustrophedon), thus making the last row running left to right.

However with an initial coincidence of the first and last clues (and midazolams post) I am starting to think this is incorrect.

[Walterloo]

Like Apache4D I still have nothing in the grid! I haven't been able to work on this much this weekend if that's any excuse. Now is the first time since my last post.
Cruncher - the composite anagram is doing my head in. I presume the definition is the first word of the clue, but there are so many combinations of 'OF' (O) and 'THE' (T)and 'NEW' (N) if used at all, and I'm thinking that 'spinning' is the indicator but the lack of answer length is making it harder.
I have quite a few answers (including the last clue and several before it) cold solved but nowhere to start. I'm hoping that once I eventually get 1 down (if nudged further towards the answer I will be happier still) I start this down the left column and on I go with other answers but Midazolam's post stating that the 'answers are not continuous' worries me too!
Enormous applause to those who seem to have cracked it.

[midazolam]

apache4d - your boustrophedon logic is correct

waterloo - the majority of the answers are continuous but there are gaps between some of the down and across entries

try quinapalus word matcher - this is how i finally managed to get 1 down

[Scorpius]

Midazolam, I cannot elaborate on my earlier point without giving the game away, but if you think about the theme you may understand why I made it.
I wonder if the arrows were really necessary. Surely it's not hard to solve the last step without them.

[midazolam]

i agree that the arrows were not necessary to find the path but at least they confirm where to begin. I am still not sure why it goes further than it needs to. Again without giving the game away - the cell at the end of the maze is 180 degree symmetrical, whether that was just coincidence.

[starwalker]

Walterloo - I sympathise with your predicament. I too had many answers cold-solved, but was unable to make any headway with entries until the first clue at 1 down had been cracked. After that things became more straightforward.

[bobbycollins]

I'm in the 1d) boat as well. Let's just hope that we stay afloat. Cold solving much slower than normal for me - nowhere near a grid entry yet.

You may remember that last week I alluded to the old "Quis custodiet.." quotation to describe one of my attitudes towards the Listener Police. My wife reminded me of Homer Simpson's reaction when, as a leader of a local vigilante group, he was asked the same question by Lisa. Homer replied:

Uh, Coastguards?

[Apache4D]

I have 1d, and am finally on my way with the grid!

Really interested to find out about a certain thematic section of a bobsleigh run, however haven't solved that clue which unless I have something wrong or there are some unchecked letters, is fairly long!

Oh well onwards.....hoping I don't make a wrong turn as my ball of thread is not very long and I fear there is no-one at the end to secure it for me!

[AHearer]

Yes, a breakthrough with 1d just before lunch was a great help. On the strength of that I rewarded myself with a long country walk. The sweater and the chemicals are still eluding me, and I'm a bit worried that some of my runs of unchecked letters are longer than I had expected. That all leaves me worried about a chain that doesn't go where I'd expected.

[AHearer]

OK, the sweater was obvious, sorry.

[Walterloo]

Hurray, I have 1d too! Picked the puzzle up again about an hour ago (kids all in bed asleep, hurrah!) and the answer popped into my weary brain. Now have quite a few answers filled and I have an idea about the path in and out of the maze. You were right, starwalker, about it becoming (a little) more straightforward once the big answer was solved.
Time for a celebratory beer. No I shouldn't. Oh alright then.