Quizzes & Puzzles1 min ago
Listener 4041: Motley Collection by Merlin
35 Answers
Before my time, Merlin's last effort was "Olde Treasure Hunt" in 2006 and won the Listener's gold cup that year
I bet we are in for a toughie!
Anyone who wants a copy email: [email protected]
I bet we are in for a toughie!
Anyone who wants a copy email: [email protected]
Answers
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.i suppose i should have got the theme earlier than i did, but once the name twigged, i could reverse solve 1 across. Before that it seemed a real struggle.
One of the down modifications does not seem to fit with the theme, but i know is right.
Nice challenge, but a shame there was nothing to do / highlight at the end.
One of the down modifications does not seem to fit with the theme, but i know is right.
Nice challenge, but a shame there was nothing to do / highlight at the end.
A delightful puzzle, and a really enjoyable challenge. Nothing to highlight, it's true, so no big finish, but at least no uncertainty on that score either.
Very well done to those who tumbled the theme early. I had to cold solve half the clues before I could get a handle on it (and that's not my strong point), which certainly made it tough, but the elegance with which it was constructed was admirable.
Bravo, Merlin!
Very well done to those who tumbled the theme early. I had to cold solve half the clues before I could get a handle on it (and that's not my strong point), which certainly made it tough, but the elegance with which it was constructed was admirable.
Bravo, Merlin!
Completed - but what hard work. Agreed, it became a lot easier once the theme appeared (which was after only about ten clues for me), and, agreed, it was elegant.
I had one solution with a hyphen in the Chambers' version and two words in the wordplay - but not indicated. Is that usual? (I know it is in AZEDs)
I had one solution with a hyphen in the Chambers' version and two words in the wordplay - but not indicated. Is that usual? (I know it is in AZEDs)
A real challenge this time, mainly because there was minimal help from the (slowly) filling grid despite my having identified the theme very early after about 4 across clues. Not the best, but probably the hardest of the year. Had I not known from 'the name' the removed letters at such an early stage, it would have been even harder. However, I think the clueing was - although challenging - very fair, and (kwyjibo) I can't agree that the down answer modifications were arbitrary, they seemed to me to fit the theme just fine ... mind you, in the Marches, maybe we didn't have it quite as hot as you!
I didn't think this one was particularly difficult. I guessed the theme after finding three of the 'modified' across answers, which made the rest much easier. I agree with a previous comment about the arbitrary element in the modification of the down answers insofar as they do not form a complete 'set' and others could equally well have been used. And I also have one that seems rather 'dodgy'.
I thought this was relatively straightforward. There was never a point where I wasn't sure that I was going to complete it. The abbreviation at 4D was a bit obscure, and that was the last one I got, but no major problems.
I prefer the ones where you take the letters out of the grid as I always seem to miss the ones in the word play (cf last week).
I prefer the ones where you take the letters out of the grid as I always seem to miss the ones in the word play (cf last week).
I got the theme very quickly like many others, after solving a few across clues, and have all but finished but am stuck on 21ac and 22dn. I know what the removed letters should be and think I have the second word of 21ac. I shall persist.
I agree with other posts - a nice puzzle but disappointed at the lack of anything to do or highlight etc at the end.
I agree with other posts - a nice puzzle but disappointed at the lack of anything to do or highlight etc at the end.
Hello, Shelouse, I have been wondering why the thread was so quiet with only those speedy solvers appearing at the start.
Like you, I had trouble with those two. I am pretty sure that the word you are fairly sure of IS the right one. That's the way I got that one. Look THAT word up in Chambers and you will find the required answer at the end of the definitions - very obscure, I thought.
That, then, will help you to get the other one (that I have indirectly commented on earlier). I now know the answer to my own question - hyphens are not indicated in Listener crosswords.
Like you, I had trouble with those two. I am pretty sure that the word you are fairly sure of IS the right one. That's the way I got that one. Look THAT word up in Chambers and you will find the required answer at the end of the definitions - very obscure, I thought.
That, then, will help you to get the other one (that I have indirectly commented on earlier). I now know the answer to my own question - hyphens are not indicated in Listener crosswords.
Very nicely judged, I thought. A couple of modified across clues and their answers gave a hint as to the theme and a third confirmed it. That gave the name and a few modified down clues and their answers yielded the rest of the thematic material. The cluing was scrupulously fair, but tough - and it needed to be or the challenge would have been diminished by the help afforded by the (fairly) easily obtained thematic "helps". I didn't think that this was one of the most difficult offerings of the year, pace cluelessJoe, but I found it one of the more enjoyable challenges due to the twin virtues of the elegance of execution of the theme and the difficulty of the cluing. It was also pleasing to meet some new words, at 1 ac, 10 ac, and 21 ac. Thanks, Merlin!
The trouble with setting Gold Cup winners, and even better (IMO) earlier ones, is that your fans will be disappointed with a perfectly good subsequent puzzle.
As to difficulty, this one left me with nothing to do on Sunday, as have several recent Listeners.
Mysterons - didn't he do one about Royal Flush or something?
As to difficulty, this one left me with nothing to do on Sunday, as have several recent Listeners.
Mysterons - didn't he do one about Royal Flush or something?
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