Listener 4747 ""

[emcee]

What a great workout. Tough clues and a great endgame.

Many thanks to "the setter"! I really enjoyed it.

[HawkCrossword]

Yes, I enjoyed it too. A tough grid fill, great clues throughout, and lots of things in the construction which kept me going, like the real words outside the grid. I don't know if the ambiguity in the ciphertext was intentional - it seems an odd coincidence, but it must have been very difficult to set if it was intended. Thanks, setter!

[perseverer]

Some really tricky clueing, particularly with jumbling going on, and another exceptional construction.
Not a form of cipher I was familiar with. In fact I was able to make a guess at the plain text and eventually used it to sort out in my own mind how the cipher worked, so, thanks, setter, for the puzzle and continuing my education.

[sunny-dave]

That was very hard - indeed.

Many hours of slog to fill the grid (although it did get easier as the pattern of jumbles emerged) - some very hard clues and (I think) a random extra word in 25ac just for good measure.

The final cryptography was easy enough - just a bit of a chore until I spotted where we were going.

Thanks to the setter for a good challenge.

[perseverer]

Sunny-dave, I think the clue you are referring to is not 25, and it all depends on how much of it is the definition!
Sorry, trying to be vague!

[sunny-dave]

Sorry 25down, not across

[HawkCrossword]

25D works for me (one of the best clues in an excellent set) so I suggest you take another look.

[sunny-dave]

OK - can see it now - I think it still can work without the 5th word.

[upsetter]

A very challenging puzzle and one with which we were glad to have made it over the line.

Thanks, XXXX.

[Cruncher]

Heading for a cold bath....

[Dim16]

For me, the most enjoyable puzzle for some time. Close to giving up on several occasions, but got there in the end.

Tough but excellent clues, and a surprisingly straightforward endgame.

Thanks, setter.