CAM 65 Prize Crossword: Mind your Ps & Qs by Ifor

[Vagans]

This edition's puzzle is at http://www.alumni.cam...am65/CAM_65_LORES.pdf (on page 48). A cunning offering by Ifor (who also had a good puzzle in the Listener series in May 2011 and sets elsewhere too). All clues solved and grid filled - but still staring at it trying to understand the final manoeuvre. No hints needed - just letting you know the puzzle is out there, and as far as I know open to all to enter.

[Mysterons]

Thanks Vagans - a change of setter this term, one can have too much of a good thing perhaps. Entry only open to alumni, so better odds of winning ?

[olichant]

It really is very tricky - I fear I have given up halfway...

[olichant]

I have to confess I'm finding it very tricky - about half way through and about to throw in the towel.

[Vagans]

No, not the easiest; and while I do now have a final gird that works, I feel I may have missed something and am still staying in Much Staring of the Grid for a while longer. Mysterons - are you sure entry is only open to alumni (I happen to be one)? Anyone can subscribe to the mag, and I see no restrictive byline.

[olichant]

I'm in the annoying position where I'm fairly sure I have the (5,4) without having completed the grid - the worst of all worlds! Hope you managed to crack it.

[word_cross]

I'm in the same position as you olichant...

[word_cross]

(oh - I've realised you're actually ahead of me! when I said same position it was based on your earlier post!) I still have a long way to go...

[vetuste_ennemi]

Thanks, Vagans. I had what the big boys' thread calls a PDM when I picked it up this morning and looked at 14A. Shame on me.

[x_word_fan]

I have the full grid but only vague ideas where next to go - I see 3 title related letters but they are not noticeably appropriately posioned?? Any hints out there?

[contendo]

Filled the grid some time ago, but still no idea how to move letters into 4 of the vacant cells. The preamble doesn't seem very helpful. Can't get the thematic phrase either, though I can think of two possible (6,4) relevant phrases.
Mysterons, if you look at the prize-winners' names they always quote the college and matriculation year, so I guess there's an assumption that you are a graduate. I went to the Other Place and quoted my college when I submitted last time, but unfortunately its name isn't shared by a Cambridge college, otherwise I might have sneaked a prize.

[x_word_fan]

Re the other place - seems Oxford Today have no crossword this issue. still no nearer with this one though - surely the title has a bearing?

[flocker]

I have an answer to one across that that has no bearing on the clue whatsoever - anybody else in the same boat. Or is it thematic?

[AHearer]

Yes, 1 across is thematic.

[Vagans]

It looks like I'm not the only one who found this tricky! I've now found a way of looking at my result that makes decent sense in terms of the title, preamble and what I had decided was the most likely 5,4 phrase, so with some relief it's going in the post at last. As commented by x_word_fan, Oxford Today have not put a crossword up this time, even online, and Mark Thakkar has stood down as crossword editor for the even more braintangling work of the Dictionary of Mediaeval Latin, which believe it or not I do actually use quite often to solve puzzles (though textual ones not crosswords). Good luck to the rest of the crew.

[maurice]

just lost my long text on this puzzler: to put it briefly, can anyone advise me how to go about filling the empty cells? Find instructions incomprehensible!Do 4 remain empty? Is a genetic symbol to be seen in the pattern formed bottom left? ANY help greatly appreciated after a day's hard sweat! Posted myself at midday but no response, then by chance discovered this thread! H E L P ! ! !

[maurice]

Afraid I've only just discovered this thread after posting my thread today here: didn't get mag. here in France till y'day! Am now in a similar position:only the 8 vacant cells to locate & recognize as somehow meaingful! But I still don't u'stand the instructions on this last step.Do 4 cells remain empty even after filling the other 4 somehow? I think I've got the tic phrase, referring both to the "replacements" and "genetically"! Am I right in trying to see a symbol in the pattern bottom right formed by 4 or 5 of the cells, which would be very relevant? And btw how come the number of spaces given for 26d is wrong: in all other cases with vacant cells they are included in the total number.
And last point: I can't see why you shouldn't enter whether you went to C. or not.
ANYONE STILL LOOKING OUT THERE? Think I'll "bring this to the top" again, it's so challenging!
P.S. Do you all know CAM 64 was a tribute to s'one we all know & admire?

[maurice]

'tic' in my last posting was supposed to read 'thematic" (though I'm slowly developing a tic myself after working on this for over 24 hrs -- that's why I'm getting impatient/exhausted!

[flocker]

have a complete grid with 8 vacant cells, the replacements (and thus the theme) but am stumped as to the 4 letters to be moved "in thematic fashion" - as well as the thematic phrase. The title must have something to do with it I assume. Has anyone got any (not too explicit) ideas on how to proceed?

[vetuste_ennemi]

I thought this was going to be easy, then ground to a halt for a while. If I finally cracked it the missing plural form would have helped.

[maurice]

Don't quite follow your last remark: could you elaborate? I think I have the plural you mean, but still can't see a solution that's convincing with the transposition of letters!