Listener 4222 - 27 By Mango

[Texasetes]

A very entertaining puzzle which I couldn't put down: a nicely cryptic preamble, some tricky (but fair) clues, an excellent grid and an endgame which had me beaming. The general theme became apparent fairly early on, but pennies dropped until and after the grid was filled.

I have doubts about the precise appearance of the final grid but things will probably resolve themselves when I'm awake.

A great puzzle with which to end the Listener year. Thank you, Mango.

[Charpy]

Anapice

You'd lose your bet, I'm afraid. Let's leave the single thematic item, multiply represented, out of it. Let's just look at the other thematic items. Just consider the words "the thematic items stick to the shaded cells throughout before disappearing". That could be interpreted as they must overwrite the shaded cells along which they travel before disappearing off the grid. How would that be in conflict with the rubric?

[Anapice]

I think that's stretching it beyond my comprehension. We obviously can't resolve it here without being more specific, but I think all will be made clear in three week's time. Best for 2013.

[Charpy]

Anapice

Thanks for good wishes and same to you. One of the reasons this forum exists is to compensate for slovenly preambles. I have little doubt that the consensus view coming out from these posts will prove to be the correct one. It seems to be the most sensible based on the probabi;ity of the answer being the one that is required. In my case, I couldn't care less any more and being in a hurry to get off for a few days was quite content to submit any old answer - it saves him at 63 writing to me to say that he's only received 51 entries this year and was the 52nd lost in the post.

So the forum has done its job, but it is annoying that setters are still using poor communication skills as the chief weapon in their armoury.

Best of luck for 2013.

[jim360]

Alekhine -- that certainly was not my intention, but even before I read your post I wondered if my message might have come across as a bit too aggressive. My apologies. I'm sincerely wanting to praise your success and it was indeed meant as a tongue-in-cheek comment. No need for you to apologise for misreading it, and I'll try to be more careful in future.

[Alekhine]

jim360,

No harm done ... I'm very thick-skinned. And we've all done something similar, I'm sure.

I like to think that we're all friends here.

:-)

[crosswhit99]

No 'English' required for the final shot (or any other) as already pointed out.

What a brilliant construction, avoiding any unnecessary repetition of the disappearing thematic items - bravo Seth and Co. !! A Very Happy New Year to You and all other solvers !

[NickorWan]

Charpy, I can't believe that you have used the word 'slovenly' with regard to the Mango team, top setters and perfectionists that they are. If there was an issue with the preamble I can assure you it would not be due to slovenliness.

Anyway point of post is that I think that you are misquoting Ximenes, who himself was quoting Afrit:
'1) The setter does not have to say what he means, but he should mean what he says. ' What he actually wrote was the reverse "I need not mean what I say, but I must say what I mean."