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 gentler side - just a nudge or a pointer, to steer someone in the right direction. Avoid giving information that would spoil the puzzle for other solvers.

If anyone feels that too much has been revealed, they should contact the site administrator - Norah.evoluted@aol.com. Norah very much errs on the side of caution, anything iffy is likely to be removed.

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

Really impressed with this one - very clever construction, and tough enough to be a challenge. Many thanks to Check.

Excellent second effort Jon. Everything apart from the instruction for the 19 contiguous cells. Remembering our exchanges during Covid and striving to finish before midnight on Fridays. **************, so to speak.
Hope you’re keeping well.
C&S

Note by Admin - phrase removed as I’m informed that it’s too big a hint on the theme

All done now, thanks Jon. Message to self - check (!) instruction more carefully.

Just excellent.

I have a few parsing queries that I need to figure out and have no idea about the message from the across clues, but a moment of inspiration has enabled me to finish anyway.

Great construction, good level of clues, really liked the not knowing half the locations format. And a nice pdm at the end. Top notch.

I really enjoyed this puzzle. And I'm very impressed by the construction. Apart from anything else, the need to work out where the across lights went delayed both messages.

Many thanks, Check.

By the way, did anyone else notice the coincidence, vis a vis another Times puzzle?

rhsl - yes, I noticed the coincidence too!

I am completely perplexed by this one. I have a full grid two connected names, the two affected rows, and the instruction (albeit parsing several clues for the latter). I also have 19 highlighted cells connecting the two connected names and one that satisfies the affected rows., but I don't know why. Everything seems to fit the preamble is the only positive that I can glean from this.

It does sound like you’ve solved everything required (the title confirming the theme).

Why still perplexed?!

hw7, I think it is the preamble that is perplexing me. The "instruction" does not affect 19 cells, it merely ????????????????? those connected to the two names derived from the extra words. So for me, the preamble is a little vague and needs a little PDM to sort it all out.

Note by Admin -= removed a phrase as I am informed that it reveals part of an instruction that is not revealed in the preamble.