Listener Crossword No 4275 Make A Connection By Ioa

[trux]

Is there a tradition to start the year with an extra-easy puzzle? This one certainly fits the bill but nonetheless has some nice touches (and not too much gridstaring in the end) even if the clues were rather easy for a Listener. Thanks to IOA for a most gentle solve and at least I am confident that I am now 100% for 2014!! Bestest wishes for health, happiness and successful solving to all on the AB.

[Mesnilpat]

I thought this must be an easy one if I had a nearly full grid after 30 mins. Looking here has confirmed that pretty much though the penny has still to drop on the theme. Sunny-dave, weren't you a rubber duck last year? As a denizen of Llanilltud Fawr, I'm not sure if I should be insulted or not.

[aldanna]

Even I found this quite easy, full grid in under an hour and a fun endgame. Like Trux, I am pleased to be heading for 100% this year!

[Ruthrobin]

Aldanna and Trux, you are almost two per cent of the way. Just think what that represents in future hours of stress. Each year I plan to make a deliberate error in the first but can never bring myself to do it and have to wait for pure stupidity or carelessness to kick in. Good luck with the remaining 97+ per cent.

[Zabadak]

Thought I might start up again in the New Year and see how far I could get. I'm way out of practice, and while the gridfill was pretty straightforward, spotting the connections took a while longer. Has anyone else noticed that there at least two more of the canon contained in the grid?

[freiheid]

I've finished this one, but still can't spot the third letter of the word missing from the downs. I thought there might be an F absent from another clue which gave me a wrong steer!

[Scorpius]

Oddly it was a while before I solved the first clue, but then everything flowed smoothly from there. At first I couldn't make the connection between the extra letters and a work, so studied the grid and found something that looked significant, but when I consulted a list of works by the same author I found only one other work that might be relevant. However, the penny dropped just now while I was making a cup of coffee. I haven't yet looked for the other works, but I'm sure I'm on the right track. Like others, I'm missing a letter from the down clues, though I'm certain what the letter is.

[IainGrace]

Freiheid, we had the same problem. Only real tactic is to analyse the wordplay in the intervening clues to death, and you should find that you can't quite justify part of one of them without a far from obvious addition to one word. If that helps....

[olichant]

Zabadak - yes, indeed - I spotted one other red herring that led me astray for a good while. I'm guessing it must have been deliberate?

[tilbee]

A very gentle gridfill to pass a railway journey yesterday, but only got around to unravelling the endgame this morning. Not tempted to start submitting this year, primarily due to the desire to go on distant holidays without worrying about how to get a copy of Times and send solution in time. Additionally, awaiting the monthly results for Magpie is also already sufficiently stressful for me.

[tristram37]

I found that the 4th extra letter in the downs is in a word that has two possible spellings, the other one of which gives a different letter. Does that ring any bells?

[Cruncher]

tristram37 - yup I'm with you on that but the final part of the puzzle will help you decide which letter was intended. Indeed a gentle start with some slightly underwhelming clueing. As ever the PDM is terribly easy once you see it, but maddening until you do! Good luck with the annual stats this year for anyone who cares. I'm one of those who stuck an entry in the post, the Tubular Bells puzzle, having copied it out neat and then immediately realised that I'd forgotten to add the shading. A second letter followed swiftly to Mr Green but I anticipate no leniency....

[Zabadak]

olichant: yes, I saw that one too, but couldn't make it work or fit the number of letters. The two I spotted were, shall we say, in the grid right at the start, and are of a kind. check the canon.

[slaney]

Sent Staurologist.

PDM took far too long to come for me, and I followed every red herring going, but glad to have the first one of the year done.

[Scorpius]

Did anyone else have trouble parsing 38ac? I have no doubt about the answer but I'm baffled by the wordplay.

[sunny-dave]

The wordplay is middling, scorpius :+)

[Scorpius]

Ah, yes, I see. Thanks, sunny-dave.

[Woot]

I started doing the Listener Crossword last year and I don't think any are easy but then I wouldn't want them to be. Having said that, this was on the milder side although the end game took me a while to spot.

Can anyone give me some advice? I was lucky enough to be a prize-winner in December and I'm looking forward to my copy of Brewer's - does anyone know how long will it should take to arrive?

[perseverer]

There is a delay while waiting for Brewer's to be reprinted. See http://www.listenercrossword.com

[Woot]

Thanks perseverer!