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 and given here. It's hoped that the help will be on the gentle, moderate side - just a nudge, a pointer in the right direction. Avoid anything that would spoil the puzzle for others.

If anyone feels that too much, thematically speaking, has been revealed, they should contact the site administrator - Norah.evoluted@aol.com. Norah tends to err on the side of caution, so anything at all iffy is likely to be removed.

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

What a treat!

The endgame is no doubt a treat for those familiar with the theme, but for those (like me) with zero knowledge, the instructions from the down clues may as well be written in Linear A. Fortunately mrs buddy is an expert so I will get her advice when gets home. Meanwhile USA/Australia soccer (sic) awaits.

Jockie - I agree! - a nice construction and an enjoyable solve - thanks to Deuce.

The theme is one of my particular interests. And one of the down links is relevant to me also.

Nice puzzle. I vaguely know my way around the theme, so I think that the down clues have pointed me in the right direction.

Thanks, Deuce.

Incredibly, I’ve been studying the general topic for the past few weeks, having always been curious, and was introduced to the particular theme for the very first time last night. An extraordinary coincidence; quite a specific aspect of the subject, and would have taken me ages to track down and understand without some rudimentary familiarity.

Lovely puzzle.

I have a completed grid (I think) and parsed all of the clues, but I think that I have gone astray. My 6 across clue numbers add up to 166, of which the thematic change is consistent in four of them and ls consistent, but different, in the other two. The clue numbers of the down clues clued by wordplay only sum to 62. I am correct? The initial letters of the 6 across answers don't mean anything to me.

That all sounds correct. You need to make sense of the six-letter word from the across clues. The last few letters of the message from the down clues may help identify the context.

Thanks Iratus. I now have the four symmetrically placed rectangles, Just got to spot the expected response and identify the row or column that requires highlighting.