Listener Crossword 4032

[starwalker]

Highlighters at the ready. This week's fix is "Disorders" by Phi. Best of luck to all.

[cluelessJoe]

.. I know that doing crosswords can be a bit anoraky, but did Phi really need to address us all the way he does in the 7 letters commencing at 3 down?

(and can the last word in my sentence above be construed as another hint?)

[bobbycollins]

cluelessJoe...

The cheeky beggar, but it could have been worse were it not for his (fortunate) choice of vowel at letter six!

[robinruth]

Thanks for all the very subtle hints and the great encouragement - and help. I have the theme and half the grid completed (the right half) - am desperately searching for the last (unknown number) of disorders in the left half (I now have a couple - thanks!) But there are some clever people out there who found this one easy!

[Mysterons]

............ and let's be grateful we don't need to draw any Kerley lines this week !

[robinruth]

Yes, and hasn't the thread gone quiet. I wonder whether anyone is still solving.

[rabet]

I too found this tedious, and because there is no hint as to the number of items to be highlighted (highlit?) I don't feel certain that I have fully completed the puzzle; I find that annoying. Anyone agree?

[Mysterons]

On balance, no, because despite not all the disorderly entries being involved in the actual disorders, and contrary to the theme, there is such an orderly symmetrical pattern to the high lights, leaving no doubt for the solver as to when to stop searching. As a general rule, if you're not sure whether you've found them all, you probably haven't.

[rabet]

Yes, I noticed the symmetry, but it's only a partial symmetry. Theoretically, somethig could be added in such a position as to retain a partial symmetry.

[Mysterons]

Agreed, the symmetry aint perfect, but Phi was restricted to eponymns contained in Chambers, so perfect symmetry would not have been possible.

[Deviant]

Chalk me down as another who found this tedious. In fact, it was probably the hardest & most boring slog I've had since I started doing Listeners. The grid was cleverly constructed, but I don't have any other good things to say about it.

I really don't see why they couldn't have specified the number of highlighted items. I guess I've probably got them all, but I was expecting some down ones too.

[Mysterons]

In Phi's defence, there are only about 30 eponymous conditions in Chambers, so it would probably have been impossible to squeeze any more into a 15x8 grid without sacrificing the symmetry and creating the uncertainty mentioned above.