Listener 4119 Mass Production by Hedge-Sparrow

[Ruthrobin]

Good to have a circular one for a change. I am thoroughly enjoying this - right up my street, though some of the products are elusive - not surprisingly!

[contendo]

Tenflags, I hope you will continue to struggle. I too spend hours on The Listener and sometimes wonder whether I can justify it. I also wonder how the hell the usual suspects seem to finish them in the blinking of an eye, but the harder you find them the more satisfying it is when you do eventually crack them, so I feel the struggle is worthwhile (Contendo is Latin for "I struggle") and I hope you will keep at it.

[Philoctetes]

Tenflags.
Not everyone here is a sprinter. I tend to sit down with the puzzle for 10-15 minutes at a time, with a cuppa. OK, so I don't finish on Friday night, but that doesn't matter. And, as pushmi suggests, even when you are not directly working at it, your brain still processes the clues. So carpe diem when you can and keep at it. You will improve.

[Clamzy]

You beat me to it Philo. I was about to post a "more haste less speed" missive. Some one mentioned a week or three ago that we more sedate solvers probably enjoy the flavours more than those who bolt it down so to speak.

[bobbycollins]

Just to add my hear hear! to the last couple of postings. I too prefer to enjoy the scenery and chew over the offerings.

I also don't understand what possible prolonged enjoyment can be found by rattling through The Times in five minutes each day, mais chacun a son gout as they say.

[cluelessJoe]

Yes, spot-on you guys. Some puzzles definitely mature if you allow time to savour the bouquet - and to that end, I can definitely recommend acquiring a couple of dogs. For one thing, they get you out of the house two or three times a day - and also there is nothing more certain than you are going to crack that wicked clue mid-walk, two miles from home and the same distance from the big red book. (And no, I don't want an 'app' that delivers Chambers etc. to me when I'm there / on the loo or wherever else).

[trux]

S-Matrix : well neither "hoped for" nor "planned for" is strictly accurate, methinks (in a quarky sort of way) ... the point is that this will prove, once and for all, if it exists or if it does not ... there are plenty of people out there who base their work on non-existence , too .... of course, not seeing something that does not exist must, mefeels, be less exciting a prospect than seeing something that does .... will this be the ultimate PDM ?

[Ruthrobin]

Sorry, S.Matrix, as usual, I am disagreeing with you (but a very happy New Year to you). Comments here will have made it fairly clear that I am 'shall we say' connected with the thematic establishment. Hedge-sparrow said, very tactfully 'alternative indications' - and quite rightly. No English-speaking person currently in the thematic establishment uses the C word except in the form that he used it and the L, informal (Hedge-sparrow) usage is being discussed as an alternative and preferable name (partly because of another undesirable letter in the acronym). His 'planned' is spot on - not all plans, even those as carefully prepared as in the case in point, come to fruition. Remember the bard 'The best laid plans of mice and men gang oft agley'. I shall go quiet now rather than run the risk of saying too much here.

[JackDeCrow]

Well, I don't normally like the circular ones, but it's been a long time and that's such a good topic for one that I rather enjoyed it! Also very tickled to see two people with some connection to the place in question emerging on this thread - makes me feel proud to be a fellow solver!
Happy New Year all.

[Zabadak]

For those who have lost scrabble solver (a very useful tool because of the capacity enter blanks) it's still available at http://wordsolver.net/. They just changed the name, probably for copyright reasons.

[tenflags]

Many thanks Bobbycollins
as I finished this one earlier than expected I shall have a go.

[teuchter2]

I have come to this one very late having missed out on realising there was a 4118 last week until Friday. I managed to complete that one yesterday and have solved a few clues, but nothing obvious is springing to mind so far! I admire you dedicated solvers. I am not usually so quick on the uptake.

[freiheid]

Nice to see a science-based puzzle for a change...rather unusual in the cryptic world.

[Jogler]

We pottered on with this one through a number of interruptions but enjoyed the journey and the layout. Although I had mooted the theme as a possibility and kept it in the back of my mind, it was not (and still is not despite some interesting google time!) something we know much about. Consequently the various ring words did not come naturally but, as others have mentioned, there seems to be a wide variety of routes to completion. It has now taken a long cup of tea (sadly without baked accompaniments) to catch up with all the comments!

[tenflags]

Bobbycollins: glad to see "the grauniad" still has spelling mistakes then, or is it the observer now, anyway it (Azed) struck me as a bit like a gentle Mephisto.

CluelessJoe: that's spooky as my wife persuaded me to take on a rescue (abandoned) dog which we are picking up this afternoon so I might well be pondering whilst walking said mutt. (p.s. like the Hunter pic - brings back memories)

[Ruthrobin]

s-matrix, if you are still following the thread, perhaps you would like to say 'hello' off-line to [email protected]

[IainGrace]

Took us a little while to start getting into this one, partly because we have in the past spent time on these radial grids and failed to complete them. Got the generic theme pretty early on, which didn't inspire us as it is not a subject that we have much interest in. We then dug deeper and realised that the place in question is one where a great chum has worked for years and we have visited, so that inspired us to a swift conclusion.