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pax potior bello.

Gitto, I’ve explained already. Post #1 also says “Please try to avoid any allusions to the theme”. I think giving the first letters of the message falls under that heading. You don’t agree, and that’s fine. It’s a free country. This will be my final post on any Listener thread anyway. I’ve given as much help as anyone on this forum over the last few years but now is a good time to get my coat, as I’m clearly out of sympathy with the prevailing view.

Murky, off topic, but returning to your thoughts on dumbing down, I've only compiled my own figures for five years, using the scale A = 1 … E = 5, based on my own elapsed solving times. Not wholly scientific, but what grading method is? When I began grading the average was stable around 3, or C. Last year 2.7. This year 2.4. That's the equivalent of about 8 D puzzles being replaced by As. Of course I may be improving, but at my age, and after so much experience, I rather doubt it. I realise these figures are in contrast to yours. Quot homines, tot sententiae.

At the current rate there’ll soon be no need for a forum thread. Good luck all, and cheerio.

I am now in the stages of scissors and sticky tape looking for a diagonal message. 😄

FWIW I thought Gitto's letters would have been meaningless if I hadn't already worked out the work. Having done that, there's only one set of 'closing words' after all.

Quisling - sorely tempted to shout "Bah! Humbug!!" after you...but seriously - I hope you'll reconsider - and if not, good fortune - and...Valete.

Granama, I agree that the preamble pretty much gave the game away and certainly once the first thematic answer turned up. Quisling, sorry to see you go and I’m sure I’m not alone in saying I’d be glad to see you come back.

When I saw the first part of the preamble, I thought this would be a lost cause but scissors and blue tack (to which I resorted without a qualm) did the trick. Thank you, Kea; a great piece of construction. The Spartans would have been proud of you!

Qusling, on a personal level, I'd be sorry to see you go.

In general...

The 'allusions to the theme' wording has been emphasised slightly recently - and that's because one poster inadvertently led to slightly too much being said, written. i feel that anything that gives more of a shove than a nudge should be avoided. - and if any other Forum members feel that this has happened, they should report the post to Norah, the site administrator. She's not a crossworder, so won't/can't interpret whether the help given is indeed too generous - but likes to err on the side of caution.

Quisling, I need to make a a few, hopefully reconciliatory, points

i) Hindsight is always more helpful than foresight
ii) I have always valued your inputs and I truly hope that they continue
iii) Life would be boring if people didn't have different opinions
iv) I hate grid staring and need a nudge to persevere.

Have a great new year, re-consider leaving, and hopefully you'll be back (no reference to a quote intended!)

quisling, as others have said, I'd be sorry to see you go. Your inputs are always welcome. The forum is so much better than it was a couple of years ago when one or two contributors insisted on revealing the themes and denouements in block capital letters. These days, I feel safe in the knowledge that I can come here for a gentle nudge without seeing unavoidable spoilers. I hope you'll reconsider. Either way, a Happy New Year to all and thanks to Norah for keeping us all on the straight and narrow.

Granama, Jack A -
no cutting, pasting, or wrapping is needed - the variation of the quotation can easily be read in the grid as it is printed in the Times, in a similar way to all the down entries.
I refer you to the following update of my post #17 :

'...as the preamble says "...read diagonally...rod of a different thickness."

So:

"read diagonally" only has four possibilities in this grid - although it could be a mixture, let's assume all the four words follow the same diagonal mode, as the simplest possibility.

"different rod thickness" (diameter) = different periodicity.

And "...timely...variation..."

Schorley re #30 -Thanks!

Gitto re #37 - Quisling : tomorrow, I'll think of some way to get him back...