(pretty pathetic grid picture coming soon)
Sometimes time is not on your side, and a crossword is just that much better than you, and this is one of those weeks. The preamble looked like a lot of fun, misprints (but no idea how many), clashes, and a combination of THREE letters to get a message! Last year Kea had Conflict Resolution, which required summing four letters to get a message, so this should theoretically be easier.
The 1 across test passed - there's SPYPLANE and no misprints and maybe I got a false sense of security playing the "Definitions are left intact" game, thinking 1down was SC,ROLL (can ROLL be coiled? probably), 2 PURSUED with some form of misprint there (URS or SRU - maybe the U in SRU?) and POSSES,S... but from there I got bogged down and couldn't find a way out.
I started to get a pattern of the misprints around 4D, 13D and 24AC, with one at the end of 18AC, so it looks like a U or a cup.
And then schedules spiralled out of control - I didn't even manage to get a session where myself, chambers, bradfords and the crossword were in the same room (look for this to be a pattern over the next few weeks, things have somewhat settled down now).
So I'm sorry, Kea - for the amount I enjoyed Conflict Resolution, I didn't get the chance to enjoy Admission. And I didn't even give it the amount of time to say that I could have gotten somewhere if I did. Moral of the story - if you're doing long travelling, don't drive!
Victory to Kea and the Listener crossword and I'm in a real slump here. 2009 tally: Listener 12, George 19. Current streak, Listener 3!
Feel free to comment below, and see you all next week to find out if this admission leads to a disagreement with Stan.
2 comments:
Same 1ac test and sense of euphoria. Same dismal conclusion! I did have the time, but failed by a long way. Let's hope the editors have mercy on the slow amongst us soon (although I am not hopeful!)
(I recommend the book of Listener puzzles to cheer you up for moments like these!)
I got there (see the LWO blogs) but only after two solid days of hacking away at the bark and with the help of a far more able solver - but this one was way out of my league - twice as difficult as any others we've managed! Well worth the time all the same. I totally endorse your comment about the slow amongst us - it's all very well for that clever lot on the message board to gloat.
Shirley
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