Ev Sunday Telegraph Enigmatic Variations 1075 June 16Th 2013

[Twit-Who]

An easy romp today with a clear preamble and no doubt at the end.

Unlike EV 1072 (solution published today). I did not have the correct endgame although I had seen the word and thought it was too much of a coincidence. Oh well, can't win them all as much as I enjoy trying.

[x_word_fan]

- and a sentiment in the quotation with which I whole heartedly agree!

[dr b]

An enjoyable walk in the park, esp. compared to last week's!

[kayakamina]

As dr b says what a difference to last week.

Is it my imagination that Chalicea has been prolific in Listener, Inquisitor & EV
recently?
I'm not complaining as I like her style.

[novalis]

Today's has given me plenty of time to look at last week's ... with which i am still struggling.

[Christiana]

As you say, an enjoyable romp, though, having I believe, identified the quote, I still have to find it embedded in the grid, and have yet to find the 'two words' that go below it.
Haven't looked very hard as yet but thought I'd post, as really struggled with last week's offering and didn't post at all. In fact I still have two of the down clues to get in EV 1074, though I've dealt with everything else. My thanks go to ringer for providing what was for me a very clear clue as to the hyphenated word to go under the grid.

[Christiana]

Have realised I was trying to make the two words below the grid harder than it is - so have that. On to finding the seven word quotation in the grid.
I also thought 8d was a particularly well-worded clue - worthy of inclusion in Clue of the Week that goes with THE WEEK crossword.

[devadolly]

This was a welcome gentle stretch after last week, which I hasten to add, I am no-where near having a PDM about. Still plodding, have a number of the down clues with their letters positioned as they have to be but WHY?????? It's driving me mad!
Talking of being driven mad, the answer to 1071 was certainly groanworthy, how could I not have got that one I ask myself........??

[ringer]

Devadolly - look at how I have written my comments in last week's thread. I would severely reprimanded at work for how I have started each sentence. That means I have only used ....... letters.
Have only just started today's, having spent most of the day playing "catch-up" with mundane chores. Will have to complete the ironing soon - ah well!

[Christiana]

Now found quote in grid - looking for such things is never my favourite occupation. Keep going DD re. last week's and take ringer's excellent hint. I am still plodding away at a couple of Down clues that continue to escape me.

[Twit-Who]

Devadolly, concentrate again on the letters you have to move in 2d and 13d (and how) as they contain more common words of the definition we seek in last week's EV.

[Ruthrobin]

Hello again to the EV group. I love your warm and gentle input to my newest EV and am honoured, Kayakamina, to earn your approval. Yes, there have been a lot of mine lately (I tried to be published in every outlet I compile for during these few weeks to celebrate a final retirement from teaching and a big birthday - and managed - but you'll have a break from mine for a while now). X-word-fan, this was one of the last ones that Mr Leonard edited and scheduled before his recent death and when I sent it to him over three years ago (yes we are compiling so long in advance!) he accepted it because he wholeheartedly agreed with the sentiment expressed in the quotation.

[devadolly]

Hello Ruth-robin, so you are Chalicea (from whence the NDP?) A lovely gentle romp which stretched (well, it did mine) the brain on certain words & compilations with a very nasty twist in digging out the quote. All the regular EV'ers will be totally unsurprised that I failed to get all the 11 letters and only fell over the quote via judicious detective work.
By the way, I am still stuggling with last weeks and fear it will have to go over the shoulder .... it's a complete mental block, despite all the whacking great hints you have all given, a bit the same as smart phones for me!! SOF that's me!

[jim360]

Fairly easy but some pleasant clues (enjoyed particularly 8d) and a well-hidden quotation. Thanks Chalicea!

Now back to the Listener... a real stinker.

[turast]

I was convinced I'd understood the setter's joke in the title, before even looking at the clues, but I was barking up the wrong apple tree, thinking the owner has 11 letters, as does the author of the quotation I was thinking about, THOMAS MAUDE. I thought I'd be writing DIAMOND, DIAMOND under the grid. The only thing I was right about, was recognising the nature of Chalicea's pun. I now have an almost complete grid, the quotation highlighted, the object of dislike written in, but still pondering 54 Across and 55 Down. I think I'll take a walk to see if that will lead anywhere.

[chrisj50]

Being new to EV's, I appreciate a gentler one when it comes along! I too am stuck on 54/55, with an otherwise full & highlighted grid. A gentle nudge in the right direction would be greatly appreciated!

[kayakamina]

55d can mean to poke fun, a chap or a fish!

See Chambers definitions 1,4 & 5

[chrisj50]

Thank you!! It seems so obvious now!