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Re(3): Listener 4358: The Other Letter by Wan IP: 210.50.99.167 Posted on August 31, 2015 at 05:47:51 PM by Terry Clarke
Hear. Hear! On my first trawl I solved no Across clue. It wasn't till I reached IDOL that I was able confidently to make an entry. The extra letters were much harder to identify than the misprints; indeed, though I filled the grid correctly and identified the three birds, I was unable to account for three of the otiose by parsing. In a difficult puzzle I would rather 'planted' had been omitted; the surface did not need it. But that is a quibble. The puzzle gave me much pleasure. I failed to find BEE. I was seduced by finding COLIN, but that did not lead to consummation, alas! When I saw the solution I marvelled at the constraints those 43 letters placed on grid construction; that the completed grid had rotational symmetry and satisfied word-length condition was a stunning achievement. Congratulations and thanks.
PS Why has the space for messages here shrunk? Replies: