Listener 4069: Conversion by Samuel

[midazolam]

I very much enjoyed last years penny dropping moment with playtime, and likewise with this weeks listener, it was very neat how it all came together. No ambiguities although one answer I couldn't find in Chambers but is well known in this modern society.

Thanks Samuel

[midazolam]

i dont see a problem using abbreviations or acronyms as part of the wordplay, daagg

[daagg]

Thanks Clamzy, it's good to have the reassurance. I'm also intrigued by the wordplay for 10ac, as Chambers has a meaning for the last letter which I've never heard of, and which doesn't even start with the right letter - well, in English, anyway :-) Just goes to show, as someone said last week - look up anything and everything!

[daagg]

Midazolam, I don't have a problem with acronyms, I just thought this one was a bit obscure.

[Philoctetes]

@Daagg - at last I have found a purpose for my extensive classical education.

[Clamzy]

Yes Daagg, as Philoctetes knows that letter with its Latin derivation is a regular in Listeners - NB for future ref.

[emcee]

Bit late starting this one. I enjoyed it -- not easy but the endgame was (as with other Samuel puzzles) neat and impressive.

[Ruthrobin]

Yes Daagg, that letter really held me up in a Listener some time ago and is now in the long list of things we are slowly getting to recognise (Like aa for rock!)

[cluelessJoe]

Aa Ruthrobin, well done ... you spotted that his real name is Drockgg!

[daagg]

Blast, my secret is out - though I'm probably actually Drockhorse!

Where can I find an example of this 1-letter Latin abbreviation in use?

[Philoctetes]

@Daagg - surely that should be Pennyrockhorse? And I have a feeling that abbreviations like this are used in medical prescriptions - though it doesn't appear here - http://www.dking.gen.nz/doc-codes.html - so I might be wrong.

[midazolam]

in the medical field Rx = treatment (likewise Mx = management) and take is similar to treat. Likelise as Philoctetes mentioned it can be used on prescriptions.

[munkybiskitz]

Samuel, you are a genius. I think this is a brilliant puzzle. I've spent far too long on it, having made some silly errors with the misprints, because I made assumptions that I should have checked. I'm glad I persevered, because the endgame is superb. Many thanks.

[daagg]

To live is to learn - thanks for the info.

[Speravi]

Absolutely great - thoroughly enjoyable. Even I can't fault this one. Although I guessed the thematic introduction fairly soon, I found a way to misinterpret the instruction for the across clues, so I had to do more cold-solving than would otherwise have been the case. Once that was corrected, the PDMs came thick and fast in this thematically very rich puzzle, for which I add my thanks and congratulations to Samuel.

[shelouse]

I have a problem with 16d and 27a where there appears to be a conflict. I am sure of 27a but 16d does not seem to be a word and I can't find any word that fits with entries in the other cells. Otherwise, all done. Lovely puzzle - thanks, Samuel

Daag, the abbreviation that had you bogged down is given a specific mention in the Listener Crossword user's guide part 10 (available on line) and mentioned in a recent post

[Deviant]

Shelouse, if you can work out the misprint there and therefore the definition, it should help enormously, though I'd never heard of the answer.

I enjoyed this a lot, as I have all of Samuel's Listeners to date. He's a nice bloke too.

One query though - 15D. There are 2 answers I can derive and I can't find either of them in Chambers. One is listed in Tea, but doesn't appear to be a force. Any hints?

[Ruthrobin]

Deviant, there are, of course, two answers that are clued without definition. Force can be E, F, G, Od, Qi, Ta or even B (though I am not sure that is in Chambers). Look for the abbreviations for 'are'. Hope that helps.

[Deviant]

Ruthrobin. Thanks - I'd forgotten about that other unclued answer. Pretty obvious in hindsight. *Bangs head against wall*

[daagg]

Shelouse, if you only have 16dn left, you should only have 1 letter unknown, and WordWizard will give you a single suggestion. The answer is in my (old) Chambers, as a subsidiary definition.

[jacinth]

Outside forces meant I made a late start on this. Being pushed for time I started filling in the acrosses as soon as I could and luckily my second guess seemed to work. I made an error at 42a - I entered a Star Wars-related Japanese word, but finding the correct answer soon led me to what was going on with the downs and the penny dropped. This was a real joy - thanks!