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 should also be included.
Hints only, please, no answers.

The theme...
Requests may be made here for help towards the theme. 'Gentle nudges' is hard to define, of course, but the aim is to help a little without spoiling the puzzle for others. The help should be just a nudge, a pointer in the right direction.
Any queries or replies which, even inadvertently, reveal too much of the theme are likely to be removed.

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

There is not likely to be much controversy this week, but you never know. All in all a perfectly cromulent Listener, so thanks to Apt.

Loved the quintillion and the decimal percentage - and the programming jargon, of course - I think the setter was possibly yearning for a meatier stew (not quite ***** enough for me).
Literature, anyone? The arts? Philosophy? Anyone out there interested in these subjects anymore?

All done apart from the 8th item which is tricky as I can't identify enough omitted letters to have anything more than an educated guess. Still a cromulent effort on my part I think.

I'm in the same position as Jordan with too few of the missing across letters to have anything but a guess at the eighth item. I have 3 of those letters and they are identical, giving me a suspicion of what the eighth item might be. I shall return to it in the morning hoping to avoid confirmation bias and find what the 8th actually is.
I'll get there but it may not go off in Saturday's post

All finished with this one! Somehow I found the 8th item before any of the other seven. But overall not a particularly challenging one this week. I enjoyed the theme and how it utilized the title! Thanks Apt!

Is this actually a numeric? I thought one was due. (If it's not I'll buy a Times today).

No, It's not a numeric.

Granama, I think a few people miscounted (I) the Listener puzzles. Several mentioned the 'forthcoming numerical' and I had to check before posting the usual intro.

I believe the numerical falls on the third Saturday of Feb, May, Aug, Nov. So next week