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Listener Crossword 4619 Artistic Licence By Serpent
15 Answers
Another reasonably gentle work out, perhaps too many easy clues but fun all the same.
Thanks, Serpent.
Thanks, Serpent.
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.I found the clues in the NE corner hard. I'm a fan of Serpent from his Indy puzzles; so when a couple of clues looked like the kind of thing you get from the Guardian's sloppiest (or most innovative, if you prefer) setters, I looked for lexicographical support and confirmed that Serpent was, of course, playing fair. 27 across was a good example of this, much as I dislike the current trend for turning nouns into verbs.
The endgame didn't amount to much but I'm not complaining because (a) I like endgames I can do and (b) an in-depth treatment would bring back nasty memories of trying to understand the subject matter and failing miserably.
The endgame didn't amount to much but I'm not complaining because (a) I like endgames I can do and (b) an in-depth treatment would bring back nasty memories of trying to understand the subject matter and failing miserably.
Yes, an enjoyable puzzle. I too struggled with a few clues, particularly in the NE corner and I still haven’t parsed all of them satisfactorily. I agree that the extra letters weren’t too difficult to spot on the whole, though I did err with one which gave me a name that looked promising and had me looking for the wrong source.
I am a fan of Serpent’s cluing which is often innovative. I have a good read through the surface readings when I have finished, which are always excellent. (Did you know, btw, that when we read cryptic clues the way we have taught ourselves to read them. i.e. ignoring what the surface is saying, that we impair our ability to recognise faces and to taste red wine!)
I am a fan of Serpent’s cluing which is often innovative. I have a good read through the surface readings when I have finished, which are always excellent. (Did you know, btw, that when we read cryptic clues the way we have taught ourselves to read them. i.e. ignoring what the surface is saying, that we impair our ability to recognise faces and to taste red wine!)
Not sure if you're kidding or not, Nick, but I'm hopeless at remembering faces. I always have been. No problems with wine though!
I realise on rereading my earlier post that perhaps I was a little dismissive about the endgame. There's not a lot for solvers to do, but I can appreciate how difficult it must be to create a grid where changing entries results in real words. Credit to Serpent for that.
I realise on rereading my earlier post that perhaps I was a little dismissive about the endgame. There's not a lot for solvers to do, but I can appreciate how difficult it must be to create a grid where changing entries results in real words. Credit to Serpent for that.
Not kidding, Hagen, it was in a science mag a few years ago. It seems that we teach ourselves to suppress a part of the brain that would enable us to read normally, but that suppression isn’t as selective as we might wish. It isn't permanent, but they did find that people who had just been solving cryptic clues fared less well at identifying someone from a line-up.
I found the article in case anyone is interested.
https:/ /www.ne wscient ist.com /articl e/mg212 28441-5 00-how- crosswo rd-puzz les-mes s-with- your-mi nd/
I agree about the real words in Serpent's final grid, something I always appreciate.
https:/
I agree about the real words in Serpent's final grid, something I always appreciate.
Yes, another one which relies on the internet to find the quotation, but maybe that battle should be conceded. Like others I struggled for some time with the NE quadrant but eventually saw the light.
By the bye the prize distribution is a bit weird. On checking I find I won 3 prizes in the early '80s but none since 1985 despite submitting about 800 correct solutions. Maybe I should put a stamp on the envelope (only joking). Perhaps next week...
By the bye the prize distribution is a bit weird. On checking I find I won 3 prizes in the early '80s but none since 1985 despite submitting about 800 correct solutions. Maybe I should put a stamp on the envelope (only joking). Perhaps next week...
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