Listener No 4436 Clean-Up Operation By Aragon

[Ruthrobin]

We've spent almost as long grid staring as grid-filling and breathed a massive sigh of relief when the penny (or something) finally dropped. This has been by far the toughest so far this year. Thanks to Aragon for a tough challenge.

[Hagen]

If Ruth Robin struggled with the endgame it's not surprising I'm having problems! Despite a scary preamble the gridfill was quite easy, and the instructions seem clear enough, but I've no idea where the replacement should occur and I haven't the foggiest who the perpetrator is or what the work area (which sounds worryingly like search area) is. Just as well I have no important plans for tomorrow...

(Does the text on the new improved super-duper AB really need to be so goddam BIG?)

[Hagen]

Amazing what that last look before bed will do... got it now. It all seems a bit arbitrary to me unless there's some poem or lyrics where this occurs. Still, totally unambiguous once found so kudos there, and also this was a terrific set of clues, especially 33 down.

[sunny-dave]

Full grid & instructions ... just hoping that a final Laphroaig will loosen the relevant braincell and the penny will drop ...

[sunny-dave]

... aaanddd ... it worked :)

All done, all highlighted - sure it's right, but like Hagen I am at a loss as to any source material.

Thanks Aragon - a tough challenge

[pushmi-pullyu]

Really struggling with this one. Found (perhaps) the work area, but not the perpetrator, and absolutely not a clue which letters to replace. Hopefully won't be quite so dim at tonight's village quiz.

[pushmi-pullyu]

Everything except the perpetrator...

[icynorth]

I actually found this easier than others this year. Shame about the 'missing the point in one cell..'. It's otherwise perfect. Thanks, Aragon.

[Scorpius]

This turned out to less fearsome than it looked, though I will admit to having some problems completing the NW corner. I'm not all that keen one of the down clues in that sector, which seems distinctly non-Ximenean. After filling the grid and studying the grid for ten minutes I spotted a few things but no coherent theme, so put it aside and looked at it afresh this morning. Another five minutes of experimentation got me there, so it was not the agonising endgame that I had feared.
I confess that I found the theme a tad disappointing, but that's just a matter of personal taste. I'm sure some will be delighted not to have to research some arcane topic on Google. The puzzle was very well constructed, with a well-sign-posted route to the conclusion and several PDM's.

I can't say I like the new design of this site. It displays far fewer messages on one page. Why do people fix things that ain't broke?

[upsetter]

Does the theme allude to a particular story or similar from the past?

Not sure what I think about the new Answerbank layout.

[icynorth]

Re: Answerbank. The larger text is great for those of us with failing eyesight, and I haven't yet seen it crash just as I attempt to submit a long and carefully crafted posting.

[IainGrace]

Seems to be a week for tough challenges. The Inquisitor is a rectangular carte blanche with clues in usual order but no letter lengths and some entries unclued. Set by Lavatch.

[olichant]

I found this tough, and really enjoyed it. Nice to see good surface readings after letters removed. I agree with Scorpius about one clue (assuming it's the same one) but on the whole an absolutely superb set - not surprisingly - and many a grin raised, both in the clues and in a string of PDMs. Thanks, Aragon.

[HappyUncle]

Happy at last, but I'd have been happier sooner if I hadn't spent so long trying to work out the significance of the seven-letter word in the top row. It wasn't a gift after all, and I didn't get any tips from it. Just a coincidence?

The new website - I suspect - will have been created after someone pointed out that the old typeface was contrary to the Disability Discrimination Act.

[AndrewG-S]

Grid fill and construction were fine. Endgame was amusing, but the search and head scratching to get there was not! A bit unfair in my view.

[Cruncher]

Took me a while to tumble to the endgame and spent too long trying to fit it to an existing story - feel sure that there was a kid's TV programme that used this scene. But a fun exercise with none too easy clues