Listener 4111: News Quiz by Stan

[Zabadak]

Another relatively gentle start to the week (if I've got it right, that is). I'm not sure the question revealed by the corrected letters is properly answered by the final grid, which is where I have misgivings, but I can't see another way of doing it. The jumbled entries also defy convention in one respect, but then I guess Listeners can do that. I'd be interested to see what the rest of you think!

[mullingar]

Would just like to report a success! I am baskng in 'intellectual euphoria' so none of your remarks about how easy these recent listeners are getting. I found it very enjoyable and was held up for some time by the'difficult' part of the question before the pdm (see I'm already au fait with solvers argot!)

[Clamzy]

There has been much discussion, including a letter to The Times, about Simon Long's remarkable achievement of 321 consecutive correct Listener entries. But is it even more remarkable? I seem to remember his first post to the other board saying that he had received a letter from JEG saying he was all correct in his first year. So it's possible he has never submitted a wrong one.

[x_word_fan]

More on the record - this letter was in yesterdays Times

Sir, I offer my congratulations to Simon Long for breaking my record of consecutive Listener crossword solutions (Register, Nov 6 and letter, Nov 9). It may come as a surprise to many that such meticulous records are kept (by hand, no less): for each puzzle every correct and incorrect submission is painstakingly noted by the Listener statistician, who provides this incredible service in his own time and for no financial reward. Each solver can apply for their personal record at the end of every year, and it was this competitive element that got me hooked.

I can report that setting the (now-defunct) record necessitated a bit more than an obsessive attention to detail and inability to let things go . . .

Careful selection of holiday destinations became important after the task of hunting down a copy of Saturday’s newspaper in one remote part of Africa proved every bit as difficult as solving the crossword itself.

Careful selection of friends was also important, and I thank them for not disowning me when I insisted on dictionaries accompanying me everywhere I went, even to the Anfield Kop on one occasion.

I advise Simon Long to stop now and reclaim his life.

Simon Anthony

[cluelessJoe]

The one blemish on Simon's remarkable record is that I think he actually got one puzzle 'wrong'.
If I remember rightly, it was Samuel's 'The cause of much pain' (how apt!). I believe the fact that a few noted solvers had similarly stumbled alerted the editors, and they elected to accept the alternative (but originally wrong) solution as also correct.
I doubt that many other incorrect submissions have resulted in similar volte-faces.

[Clamzy]

As you say cJ not many, but I can remember a couple. One was a Grand National puzzle where the answer was REDRUM but they also allowed CORBIERE. On a more recent occasion you will recall that CAMPANILE and BELFRY were allowed when the correct answer was church tower. Guily M'Lud.