Listener No 4367: Identity Crisis By Sabre

[tilbee]

An excellent challenge from Sabre, and certainly had to use all the available information to make headway on this. Full quotation and author only revealing itself right at the end.

[Fibonacci]

Well done on your first question posted after 445 answers - probably more suited to the crosswrods section though
Good to hear you enjoyed the crossword

[dylan123]

I can't see how two 12 letter across clues can have different starting columns, unless there is a wrap-around feature. Equally, numbers of different length clues don't fit the given symmetry. What am I missing?!

[olichant]

Dylan, yes - it must be part of the challenge. Enjoying solving the clues but it's going pretty slowly for me - and there I was hoping to get it done before the rugby...

[Arcticpenguin]

Phew ! What a puzzle - my favourite for 2015. Well done Sabre !!!

[jim360]

I suppose a puzzle like this is a reminder to be careful what we wish for... at least the clues aren't totally fearsome.

[Whenland]

All 12-letter clues solved, but now much head-scratching about how to get 180 degree symmetry in a 12 x 12 grid when only one of the down clues has 12 letters.

[aldanna]

As Jim says, the clues are not too hard. In fact, I have cold-solved the majority, and Himself reckons he has solved the symmetry problem. However, we have no idea what to do now, and I am forced to conclude it's probably beyond me.

[s_pugh]

Managed to cold solve all bar two of the ‘regular’ across clues and two of the down. At a total loss as to what to do next, and pre-amble of zero help. Suspect round grey thing awaits, which is a shame but life is too short. Sorry Sabre, but this one is utterly AI.

[AHearer]

Well, that was certainly a good response to those of us who were complaining about things getting too easy! I started by cold-solving all but four clues, and then had to iterate round 'guess some words in the quotation, try grid-fill' a few times before it all worked out. Thanks, Sabre, that was an excellent puzzle, with a good balance of difficulty between the clues and the completion.

[Vagans]

Phew!

[Scorpius]

I must have already spent more time on this than on any other puzzle in years. I thought Sabre's recent Magpie puzzle was tough enough, but that was a doddle compared to this.
I have filled about two thirds of the grid, with eight clues so far unsolved, but I haven't yet worked out how an asymmetrical set of answers convert to a symmetrical grid. Even knowing, or rather guessing in one case, the four units of co-ordinates hasn't provided enough to get the quotation.
I cannot say I'm enjoying the experience. If it weren't for some perverse desire to keep the statistics reasonably respectable I'd probably abandon it. As s_pugh says, "Life's too short."

[s_pugh]

Still plodding on through the fog but a tenuous stab at building a grid had the unexpected result of producing the two ‘normal’ across answers I was missing, one of which (the Rossini one) I wouldn’t have sussed in a million years otherwise. All down clues cold-solved bar the one which is in the OED which I don’t possess so I’m goosed there. This is a serious struggle.

[Scorpius]

s_pugh, I hope it won't offend the rules on this board if I tell you firstly that the wordplay to the OED word is very straightforward, and you must know the first letter since you have solved the clues either side. If you then come up with plausible words, try them in Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, which has the word. Then check carefully the meaning of the clue's first word in Chambers.

[starwalker]

Making slow but steady progress with this, so thank you Sabre for the serious challenge. Poor scheduling though, to deliver this in the middle of the rugby world cup

[Scorpius]

Slowly getting there after getting the quote. I thought Listeners were supposed to be solvable without the internet but the important part of the quotation is not in the sixth edition of ODQ, so I don't know how anyone could get it without the internet. I expect tying up the loose ends is going to take some time still.
My grid is almost full, but on the basis of what I've done so far, I don't think it's an elegant puzzle. In my view it's very inelegant, with the solver having to do a lot of messing around to achieve the final result. I'd go so far as to say it's the worst Sabre I've tackled in twelve years.

[s_pugh]

Thanks Scorpius, I’d a good idea about the answer for the OED one, just lacked confirmation but managed to find it on the online OED. All clashes understood now, and cells replaced to form second part of quotation. Am I alone though in thinking that the replacement of the 6 cells was a little unconvincing – I’m assuming I’ve got the right characters but one of the words thus formed is a variant spelling of an already obsolete word. I do so hate ambiguity, especially after such a long and tough slog.

[towsertaylor]

A nice tough puzzle - I hope I'm about three quarters of the way there but other things keep intervening. Can anyone convince me that the PDM is worth striving for?!

[Contrarian]

By far the best puzzle of the year, I would say.

Thanks Sabre for this masterpiece.

[upsetter]

We cribbed the quotation from the other place and still can't effect a single entry.
Can any one send a leg-up (eg where an honest 12 letter answer goes) to charles.salter at phillips.gi

[doctormatt]

Wow, just finished. Glad to see so many have said 'phew': so clever!!