Listener No 4236 Oh No! Not Another Playfair, By Mordred

[Ruthrobin]

I usually hate playfairs, so what a joy to have this one with a difference. Thank you so much Mordred (for a nice easy solve, too, that will be perfect to welcome newcomers). Great fun!

[dr b]

Easy gridfill, fairly pointless endgame unless I'm missing something. Ho hum, an afternoon of grading papers awaits.

[starwalker]

I really must learn to type more quickly !

[AndrewG-S]

My search did not come up with this thread so I posted another question, so we have 3 this week. Ah well - apologies to all. Thought my observations were quite pertinent too.

[TheBear69]

I completely agree with dr b...

[AHearer]

As I said in another place, I found this a very easy grid fill. When I made my first letter swap (I was doing them in order) I thought 'Oh, this is going to be very clever.' But that sense of excitement faded with the remaining swaps, so I was left thinking there's another layer in there somewhere.

[jim360]

I enjoyed this even if the ending is slightly unsatisfying. Then again, hard to make words with all those nine letters in a row!

Lots of fun clues more than made up for the endgame being a bit flat. Also nice not to have to fuss over a playfair - I've never done one of those and wouldn't mind too much if I keep that streak up. Thanks, Mordred!

[Alekhine]

Yawn.

[teuchter2]

Well I'm done, but frankly I didn't find this one challenging enough. A disappointing number of non-words make for a slightly underwhelming conclusion.

[magichour]

Much the same thoughts as all those above; pretty easy grid fill, slightly disappointing conclusion. Almost looks as though the intention was to do something very clever with the swaps and it was quickly abandoned when it was realised it would be a hugely complicated grid. But pleasant enough overall, thanks to Mordred.

Sorry for another plug, but the other was right at the end of the thread for 4235. I'm featured in the Scrabble column of The Times this Saturday after winning the big Easter tournament. Those who buy the paper will see me mentioned, under real name of course!

[jockie]

I think this is a far neater puzzle than some are implying. Yes, there isn't a shattering last step, but ensuring that there is uniqueness among the 9 transpositions (especially with one of them) is a major feat of gridfilling by Mordred.

[TheBear69]

Byc vwqbabv fqwiylc mbf ordpwiyg edd rbv prlm? (G kyqs qr ecc xcyu kydkso ad vkvffo!)

[dr b]

wrsq qlddbfo wpyrd oswiybsf xcs q lk qshh de xcf ospqbwslaavv rbd yu sdwq ovhhfq

[AHearer]

Qlddbfo Wpyrd olv cvo qr qv - wdaqeqag xcv qrez ycmsosfzyhl yeoutr de xcyu ikwwav.

[jim360]

I got at least one email from a new setter explaining how frustrating it was that they had solved "9 to 5" as their first ever, and how we were all dismissing it as easy and "not the best" listener. So I've resolved never to be so nasty about a puzzle again. This isn't really a shot at anyone else but me, since I think I was guiltier of it that week than most.

Anyway, I'll enjoy cracking those ciphered messages later, and enjoyed this crossword too. May as well give my usual Uni Challenge plug - this Monday. A win sees us grab a semi-final place, while already we've got the furthest any team from King's College has since at least the Paxman era began. Not sure records survive fully from the days of Bamber.

[trux]

hope not, Jim360. I got thrashed by Durham before you were born. Not much to say about this week's puzzle other than echoing others' comments. 2-in-5's apparent as well. But, we all know how hard it is to set these kind of crosswords and so we shouldn't be too disparaging. Thanks to Mordred.

[Ruthrobin]

Yes, as jim360 and trux have just said, it is so easy to find fault (I'm on my high horse again) but before we do, we should perhaps attempt, ourselves, to do the final step that we are grumbling at Mordred for not doing. I think the disappointment stems from the fact that it started off so promisingly then didn't go all the way. Compiling a grid with certain letters omitted or only in strategic places can be a real stinker. The 2 in 5s were surprising but the clues for those were doddles weren't they?

[emcee]

Mmm... not a great fan of this puzzle I'm afraid although a big fan of Playfair puzzles generally. There seemed to be much unnecessary preamble about how a Playfair code works when it was fairly obvious from the opening sentence that we weren't expected to do anything with the assembled code-square. Unless, of course, I've missed something major!

[Cruncher]

A solid piece of work but like others I got overexcited about the first transposition and rather disappointed after that. Still mulling a couple of word plays in the SE corner

[perseverer]

G kleb ecvovo csz orvip ovabrqv g blkq yqasz ordpwiyg edd tlu yb, wibefs - bw prekz yz ye rneapvf

[Monkmonk]

L yq lyvd blelky xdrekav plxc xcv ordpwaya rh dlu yb lbp opegw albu lb fqfasfyu