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 additional information or special instructions, common in Listener puzzles, should also be included.
Hints only, please, no answers.

The theme...
Help with the theme may also be sought here. The help given should be on the gentle side - really just a nudge, a pointer in the right direction. Aim to be helpful without spoiling the puzzle for other solvers.
If you feel that too much has been given away, get in touch with the site administrator - Norah.evoluted@aol.com. Norah errs on the side of caution, anything at all 'iffy' is likely to be removed.

The Listener is a unique puzzle and should be treated with respect.

Entry-level, but pleasantly done

IMO this puzzle was too easy, and so it was a disappointment for me.

Nice idea, well worked in the grid, but a very straightforward solve.

Thanks Opsimath.
Cleverly worked - but never to our taste, musically.

Straightforward, but enjoyable with it. Nicely crafted. Thanks, Opsimath.

I think it's a good idea to have an entry level puzzle every now and again, as it encourages people who might otherwise be put off by the reputation the Listener has rightly acquired over the years as the epitome of barred crosswords.

So, thanks to Opsimath for a pleasant and enjoyable solve.

Well this is my third ever solve of the Listener. So I am grateful it was on the easier side, and it will keep me coming back and slogging away.

Last time I completed the Listener (Chalicea a few weeks ago) I went on here and was disheartened by some of the comments regarding the difficulty. I hope those who found todays offering a little basic will take heart from the fact that puzzles like this allow people like me to have at least one week of satisfaction.

On another note, was there a rather pointed message using some rather un PC language occurring in one of the rows?

@8 - that could be just a coincidence given that there's no context or hint at who it's aimed at.

Frogandpeach, please don’t be disheartened. Everyone is at a different stage in their Listener experience. Old hands long for a challenge every week, and may feel short-changed if they don’t get one. But we all had to start somewhere.

I just wish they would grade the puzzles, as the Magpie, for example, does, so that new solvers might realise which were more appropriate for them. I don’t see why they should have to bang their heads against a brick wall with a puzzle they could never solve. Let them work up to it.