Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Alphabetical order; no clue lengths; extra letters leaving non-words; four answers that don't fit; superfluous spaces.

My life is now way too short.

I felt the same yesterday, but I gave it an hour or two and found enough of the clues much easier to cold-solve than they often are, enabling me to get the translator. Once I had him the rest of the hidden message was easy as it seems the work in question is the only thing for which he is (although not to me) famous. Filling the grid was straightforward given the two 12-letter answers. And that is where I'm stuck. I can replace two of the entries with two of the extras, but the other two defeat me. I'd be interested to hear how others have completed the end game.

Hi cockie I have the two 12 letter solutions, and some others, but am honestly struggling with this one. Progress is too slow to give me hope! Iwill persevere for another hour or so, but without help may throw in the towel.

Cockie,

I think the two replacement entries you're talking about are the ones in the bottom right corner, just below the other two in the top right. The two bottom RH replacement words begin with G and T and run together.

Sorry, by 'run together'I mean that the replacement entries cause two letters to change in some of the across bottom RH entries

I don't think the right hand side fits the theme. However I only have about half the answers. I came at this the opposite end to cockie. I vaguely knew the original title and recognised it in the first few clues.

Thanks, Guys - I'll crack on with cold-solving whilst watching the German footy this afternoon.

Yes,thanks Tomsdad, I think you're right. The four answers that don't fit in the grid are of identical lengths, and replacing leaves real words. I assumed the 'instruction' is just to get rid of the originals ? However looks like the originals move across the grid too.

Thanks, muraria. It would have helped if I had solved the clue leading to the G word correctly in the first place.

Although I am only about halfway through I have counted up 4 more clues than available grid spaces. So I assume we are looking for 4 extra answers with the same thematic meaning to replace an original 4 thematically placed by the title of the work.