EV 917 - 'Prime Mover' by Samuel

[tweaker]

My first Samuel puzzle, already have a toe hold (which must be good). Preamble looks rather OK once its broken down into sections. Although it may not be Necessary for 5dn, I would like to purchase a Collins English dictionary, it's sometimes needed.

Have fun solving all.

[kayakamina]

I think i've finished.

I have the name of the group & 5 of the group so the 6th must be the 'prime mover'.

Am I correct in thinking that the theme is 'silly -----' from 20a?

[turnerjmw]

Hi kayakamina, you're quite right that that is the theme. The one written underneath was the one who performed the described actions in the 20ac, so to that extent he was indeed the "Prime Mover".

Regards

Turnerjmw

[kayakamina]

thanks turnerjmw for confirmation. I was 99.9% sure but thought I'd ask before I ink it all in.

Regards K

[Jogler]

A bit of a struggle this week, but staggered (or was it limped) in eventually! Enjoyed "Going Postal" - what did you think of it Tweaker? As to the Listener - we, too, are fairly recent converts having considered it so far out of our league that it would always be unattainable. However after a few months on EV and Speccie we gave it a go and have been having middling fortunes ever since. The thread is tightly controlled but sometimes just knowing that it can be done is a help, and there are often vague pointers. With this week's number puzzle in particular there is nothing much to be said that can give a hint as the puzzle was more of a straight slog. The nifty link that allowed one to put in nine digit numbers to look for the sum of two squares was definitely useful. Please don't be put off by your experience this week - when you get your first Listener pdm it is a real rush!

[AndrewG-S]

Just finished, a good start to BHM. Seems lots of us started the Listener recently (3 months ago for me). Generally I have found the subtle hints on the thread helpful, although not as fun as the EV chat. Guess I'll leave the light hearted, surreal EV puzzle this week and get back to my Listener spreadsheets

[tweaker]

Joglar, I will have to watch Going Postal again - I was too busy number crunching and missed 99% of it!

At least now I have a grip on what to do I think!

I guess as may-be some of you too, find the odd puzzle tough and may-be don't get along with a certain setter? I think my favorite setter I've come across (even though I was too late to solve any in the paper, is Bunthorne) I really like this style and most say he was tough for daily cryptics?

I'll carry on and off with both the EV and Listener this week, I rather likes Samuel's cluing technique.

[Jogler]

Well gl with the two puzzles, Tweaker. Yes, some setters do appeal to some people more than others - Dd has an absolute blind spot for one particular EV setter! And do get to watching the first bit of the Pratchett - it was very good, and true to the feel of the book although it doesn't quite run the sequences chronologically.

[DocHH]

Devadolly's Nemesis is Oxymoron, more "affectionately(?)" known as MrO!

[Christiana]

Well I´ve been limping along quietly in the rear, in between bouts of packing. D.Day 16th June. Main problem is that I´m told to put just a few books into each packing crate to avoid too much weight, but am rapidlly running out of anything lighter weight to put in with the hundreds of books I can´t bring myself to part with. (Not to mention the tons of paper - diaries of travels, past attempts at authorship, lots of worksheets in case I go back to doing any form of teaching or tuition etc.)
On the whole didn´t have much problem with this EV, though I wouldn´t describe it as a walk in the park (or on second thoughts ....) BUT do have two of the úndefined´answers for which I can´t fathom the cryptic part - 12a and 30a. If there´s anyone still out there perhaps a hint or two as to how these work? (Pretty certain I have the ´jumbles´okay for them)

[kayakamina]

Hi Christiana

12a Plead = Moot - change M (money) to F (fellow) = FOOT -enter as FTOO

30a Lodge = Stow ..W(with missing) for T (tenor) = STOT - enter as OTTS

Regards K

[Christiana]

Hi K. Thanks so much. I have a real blind spot for these clues where you substitute one letter for another - never seem to learn and always forgetting ´w´for ´with´ too. I had entered the correct jumbled answer, but was unhappy I couldn´t confirm with the cryptic bit.

[DocHH]

Hello Christiana,
I have just looked around and realised how difficult it would be to move! That's ignoring what is in the attic and garage! Hope the move goes well, and the transition to a less temperate climate isn't too traumatic.
My hints on 12a and 30a would have been less direct than you received from Kayakamina, but at least you have the rationale for them.

[roslyn251254]

Finally got to the end after quite a struggle.The theme is rather like marmite - you love it or hate it. I never found it funny first time round in the 70s although my husband loved it.

[AndrewG-S]

I thought it was funny the first time and played it to my children on you tube who fell about laughing, but I understand it is an acquired taste!

[Jogler]

Christiana, good luck with the move. We have moved some 25 times in our married life and have something like 5000 books so can really identify with what you are going through. As for splitting them up.... I never bothered although I did keep to boxes that were of a size that I could heft myself. My reasoning being, if I can move them, as a pathetic little woman, then so can anyone else. Incidentally the hunter-gatherer was always, very sensibly, away at the time of our moves!

[Christiana]

Oh Jogler, how typical - away doing the important things like hunting, though it sounds to me as if a lot of the gathering was left to you. Sensible advice re. the books. I've done that in the past but was given a large number of well constructed fairly large cardboard boxes, all identical. So have got obsessed with using them, as it seemed so organised. Will now regroup and go back to small boxes for the books.