Listener No 4120, Cross Country by MynnoT

[Ruthrobin]

Am I destined to start another thread or are all the friends hiding somewhere else? What a great and well-set challenge this has been. The light has just dawned regarding the theme and how to obey the instruction. Yet another superb opening for the year's puzzles.

[Clamzy]

Just so you don't feel totally abandoned I'll say that I've solved a handful of clues and will leave the rest for tomorrow and, who knows, Sunday. Off to bed now.

[trux]

RR - trust me, you are not all alone .... methinks a few of the regulars may be struggling a bit (or are out on the lash, but medoubts) .... I have got most of the grid-fill and have vague idea what must come next ... but no true PDM ... and I am under time pressure as I leave for Paris at noon tomorrow and am then away for another week ...

[dr b]

An enjoyable grid fill; certainly a few toughies in there. I have the instruction and will ponder its meaning in the morning. Trux, I do not know if I am out on the lash or not; I'll have to Google it.

[AHearer]

I thought this was going to be an easy ride, but slowed down drastically after solving about one third of the clues. I have a full grid now, except for one cell where the wordplay still eludes me and I have two possibilities. Time for a break while I wait for the thematic penny to drop.

[bobbycollins]

Just got to work feeling a bit dodgy after a night in on the lash (shouldn't have hit the brandy with work next day). Only popped in to bookmark the link.

[trux]

Grid filled, but with not complete certainty about 31A (you too, aHearer ?) - now, I really must start packing ! (What joy these puzzles bring, but be warned that they may make you miss planes or, perhaps worse still, pack in a random, bung-it-in-the-bag fashion - how many woollies will I need in the Caribbean ?).
Re : "on the lash" : Bobby C - please explain to dr b (but if you were "in", maybe you were more accurately "on the leash" ?)

[midazolam]

I am also one that had to sleep on the endgame until this morning (perhaps it was due to being "in" on the lash). A very clever construction with some tricky answers (e.g. 29A). The theme is subtle but gettable with lateral thinking and weighing up everything concerned with the puzzle. I am surprised it hasn't been done before. Enjoyable start to the year so far. Thanks MynoT

[Ruthrobin]

May I prompt you to read,
http://georgevlistener.wordpress.com/
One of the funniest things I have read for a while. It is about that unexpected extra Listener Crossword that appeared online on Christmas Day.

[starwalker]

Count me as another who rushed to fill one third of the grid before crawling more sedately towards a completion. Now it only remains to give the grid a long hard stare and all will be well.
Much happier with this (so far) than Mynot's offering last February, which I found more difficult, having no reference aids, and strong competition for my interest from a bar with cocktails, cold beer and wall to wall Barbados sunshine. Oh the suffering !

[AHearer]

I now see that my initial, and quite early, guess at the theme was right. Although Chambers justifies 21 letters for the theme, a lot of other sources give 22. The theme also resolves my uncertainty over, as Trux guessed, 31ac.

[starwalker]

The hard stare worked, and yes Midazolam, I find it hard to believe that it hasn't been done before. Delightful in its simplicity and elegance.

[bobbycollins]

what a cracking puzzle..........now for the theme

Had anybody who isn't a devotee of the author (which I am) heard of 29 across?

[dr b]

Made it to the finish line; very clever theme. I will note that Wikipedia is perfectly adequate for "confirming the theme."

bobbyc, I had never heard of 29a, that was my last in and it about drove me crazy.

trux, it turns out I was not "on the lash" but merely "at the movies." I've now seen what (judging by critics' top 10 lists) appear to be the top contenders for the best movie Oscar, the Social Network and the King's Speech. Both excellent in their own (very different) ways - curious to see which comes out on top.

[pushmi-pullyu]

I hadn't, bobbycollins. Had to google it.

[tilbee]

Been staring at 29a for what seems ages before answer finally dawned, and now at last have a completed grid. Now onwards to the theme.

[pushmi-pullyu]

Still one letter short of a complete grid - 31ac of course. Time for a break in the hopes of a PDM when I return to it.

[AndrewG-S]

Afternoon all, out yesterday so could not get to this until this afternoon, have a completed grid but no PDM as yet. I may be on the lash before this arrives...

[AndrewG-S]

RR, thanks for the link - very funny

[pushmi-pullyu]

Got 31ac, but no PDM as yet. Perhaps a glass of wine will help?