Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

THE CLUES

Requests for help should normally include the clue itself, the number of letters in the answer, and details of any you already have. Any special instructions or additional information should be included.
HINTS only, please, no answers.

THE THEME
Requests may be made here for GENTLE NUDGES only towards the theme. Yes, 'gentle nudges' is hard to define, of course - but the ideal scenario is giving enough of a nudge to help without revealing too much. The theme itself should not be revealed under any circumstances.
NB If you feel a reply or a post is too revealing, please say so on the thread before contacting Admin.

The Listener is a unique puzzle, please treat it with the respect it deserves.

Thanks Vismut!! Makes a refreshing change to not have to spend the entire weekend struggling with The Listener. I do have one empty cell from the "mirror of the chap" clue but that is about 168 fewer than this time last week.

That grid fill was a lot more relaxing than last week! still looking for the final closed curve to highlight but I'm sure it will appear in the morning

Thanks Vismut. Echo the previous 2 comments.

I hadn't heard of the main character but it was certainly interesting to read about the action and all participants involved.

I can't see how the across and down clues are "linked in a similar way" but it hasn't stopped me completing the puzzle and highlighting the closed curves.

Thanks to Vismut for a most enjoyable puzzle.

Brendan - have a look at all the numbered clues - all acrosses then all downs - and see if anything thematic (and recently used) stands out (including the thematic sense of the word ‘closed’ from the preamble)…

Morning all, in the 'linked' clues, is the link thematic or physical, and do we have to put the link into the wordplay before solving? That seems a little strange as my understanding is that the link can only be figured out once the answers are solved for.

Other way round. Wordplay gives a (usually) non-word, to which the link is added to generate the answer.

[Trust this is merely clarifying the preamble and not giving too much away].

Ah yes, that makes a lot more sense, don't know how I missed that. Thanks HW7

Jordan, the "mirror of the chap" clue was the last one I solved. If you still need the answer, I think its first letter is thematic, the second is a letter for before and the rest is a reversed type of examination with the first letter removed (topped).