EV 931 - Pondlife by Jaques

[kayakamina]

A pleasant Sunday morning puzzle; one I don't think will trouble our regulars too much.

The setter's advice on the use of a pencil for the first grid filling is superfluous to me
as I always do the EV in pencil!

[DocHH]

Hellon Kayakamina,
That instruction was superfluous for me as well. Populated the grid quickly, just spent some time looking for the request!

[slaney]

Good morning both.
Well it must just be me then - I found it more difficult than usual!

[AHearer]

Nice construction, but not too difficult. I, too, always do every crossword with a nice soft, easily erased, pencil.

[dr b]

Well, I normally use a pen so the advice was helpful. A very enjoyable puzzle for me - cluing on the easier side, but a clever finish. Googling 1a and 33a along with the word from the misprints was essential for me; I wonder how many solvers knew the "second offering" off the top of their heads!

[AndrewG-S]

Dr b, certainly not me, have the grid filled the word and the first offering but still puzzling over the second. I would say certainly a little more difficult than recent EVs

[teenieleek]

Me too, grid filled relatively easily, word (I think) but don't know where to go from here. Google hasn't helped me, maybe I have an error. Any hints appreciated.

[AndrewG-S]

Just got it, as usual making it more difficult than it in fact was!

[AndrewG-S]

teenieleek, if you have the misprint word then a google of this should give you the information you need. The second offering will "completely destroy" the first, in a normal type of way. Hope this helps

[teenieleek]

Thanks AndrewG-S, will have another look.

[Jogler]

Evening all; a nice puzzle with some effort required for the final denouement. The background story was not one that we knew and seemed to have a couple of versions; but having found the right one (I hope!) it seems to all fit in...

[midazolam]

I think I am with those that found the grid fill straightforward but decoding the thematic material a mind work out. A lot of lateral thinking here, which all tied together nicely.

[trux]

More diagonal than lateral, Midazolam !!! Thank you, AG-S ....

[dr b]

Hey all - I saw yesterday that the Jogler(s) were the winners for Listener 4098! Well done! Hip hip! Huzzah! And a rooty-toot-toot!!

[AndrewG-S]

Well done Joglers! Good to have an AB win

[ringer]

Yes, well done Joglers
Have completed the grid with first offering but can't at the moment see how to place the second - it perhaps doesn't help that I have got three different offerings (all with 5 letters) to try. Am I on the right track? Feeling very brain-dead - today was the first back at the chalk face!

[AndrewG-S]

Your offering (at 5 letters) looks a little underwhelming, think bigger

[devadolly]

Good evening All - to take a step back in time! Have more or less finished the set questions (No 10 down is not behaving) but have absolutely no idea at all about what in the world the preamble means, brain-dead ringer, I don't think you are in my league! Just what has a diagonally represented small pondlife got to do with worldly and celestial 'Bigwigs'?
Bit of a worrying day, the Ginger Mog has been very quiet and withdrawn, not sure if he is ill or just affected by the rather strong east wind we have had annoying us today. There was something of a 'bust up' last night so there may be an abcess in the offing.
Well done the Joglers great news!

[zita-green]

Congrats to Jogler; it's good to see an Aber win. Devadolly, I'm more brain dead than you. 10d was puzzling until I remembered Paul Newman. My misbehaving clue is 13a which I thought I had until I got 10d. The northeasterly here today is murderous, taking green conkers from the trees. The local kids will be bereft.

[devadolly]

Zita-green...................................
..Paul
Newman???????????????????? Oh Lord!

[Jogler]

Thank you all :) We were chuffed to bits.

Definitely a strong wind up here today as you say Dd - I think I have lost some of my washing so if you see it please send it back. I am reminded of that story when the sun and the wind had a bet about who could get the man to take off his coat..... but that is a different subject entirely.