Listener 4311 - Carte Blanche By Chalicea

[TheBear69]

This is an excellent example of a carte blanche puzzle; thanks Chalicea!

However, I think there are eight thematic clues, not seven...

[petefoxes]

This was a good workout for my cold-solving after the last few weeks' easier sets of clues. Some very nice construction. Thank you, Chalicea (RR?).

[UglyUncle]

To agree with, and paraphrase, Upsetter, 'Now that's what I call a proper Listener puzzle'. I found it harder than some other contributors appear to have done - largely because, with only three cross-checked letters to begin with (at 4, 6 and 18) I had to cold-solve about two-thirds of the clues to get started. Even then, I only began to make headway after cracking 15, 29 and 38 (getting held up with the last of those because BRB doesn't suitably define one of the wordplay elements).

Like others, I'm pleased we've been given - dare I say it - carte blanche in dealing with the blank cells, which we weren't in the recent comparable puzzle; and I too wondered about the 'eighth' thematic entry, which certainly looked as if it was intended to be one. Can Chalicea comment without giving anything away?

I also thought there should have been an entry/clue for an earlier 13 with subsequent clues re-numbered. The final grid isn't as tidy thereabouts as it is pretty much everywhere else.

But thank you, Chalicea. The unclued entry was a pleasing touch as well!

[sunny-dave]

Hey - that was good fun - a very enjoyable puzzle to return to after my holiday ☺

Thanks Chalicea

[Ruthrobin]

Yes, UglyUncle, The eighth would have caused sover protests because it was not, shall we say, quite correctly located and was of a slightly different generic type so, with editorial agreement, it was left as a kind of icing on the solver cake - an extra hint or a lucky find.

[EV_Solver]

The "eighth" thematic entry did puzzle me slightly. Regarding the puzzle earlier this year, I wonder if this was coincidence or plagiarism!!

[EAChaplin]

Chailcea could only have knowledge of the earlier puzzle this year, but I believe Carte Blanche was submitted a couple of years ago so no plagiarism.

[Ruthrobin]

EV_solver - maybe you would like to communicate with [email protected] for more info. about the setting delays etc.

[EV_Solver]

Sorry RuthRobin, perhaps I've allowed my personal experience to cloud things. I've only set a couple of puzzles myself. The first one I sent to a setter who I thought was a friend to get it tested. The setter in question then set one almost exactly the same, only a few weeks later, and had the temerity to ask me to test it. This was very disheartening as I am sure you can appreciate. We haven't spoken since. It would appear that hasn't happened here, from what you say. Thank goodness for that.