h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Is anyone tackling this week's Listener Crossword?

I just cracked it - it's a classic.

No - i didn't get the crossword this week, sadly. Sounds interesting, though - I used to enjoy a good reduction ad absurdum at uni

I'll describe it after the closing date (Thursday?)

I just finished this week's too. That's 3/3 for the year. This can't last.

Well, the solution to Reductio ad Absurdum has been published now.

There were two hidden messages. The first told solvers to delete the outer cells of the grid, and then alternate rows and columns. This revealed a second message which told solvers to delete all cells and send in the unfilled grid

So you just needed to send in the blank grid to enter the prize draw.

Apparently, this puzzle was devised as a way of saying thank you to the guy who checks all the submitted solutions every week. He'd reached a milestone (1500 puzzles or something), so they decided to give him an easy one for a change

That is classic indeed!

I'm up to 5/5 for the year. I think I've finally tuned in to these puzzles. They are very rewarding when you reveal an unexpected theme at the end.

I finally made a mistake, so I won't win any solvers' prizes this year.

What did you get up to before the mistake? Must have been good if you were up to 5/5 in February

I'm in awe!

2nd week of October

Ooo - so near and yet so far from the end of the year... Well done for setting your new personal best, anyway

I completed the puzzles for the rest of the year, so if I haven't made any further mistakes, I should just have that one wrong. I'll send off for my statistics when they come out and see. I think the checkers have a bit of a tough reputation, so it will be interested to see how many more mistakes they found. I haven't won any prizes, though.

Ah, that is interesting about the statistics - that is a small reward in itself for your hard work at solving the puzzles

I'm in awe

I sent off for my stats for the first time, and I got a lovely printed record of all sorts of things.

I got 4 puzzles wrong (not just the one I knew about), but common mistakes were explained, and I also got a handwritten note explaining three uncommon mistakes I made.

There were lists of the top scorers (29 people got all 52 puzzles correct - some have submitted consecutive correct answers for many years), and a report of the setter's annual dinner. I've thought about setting a puzzle - I have some good original ideas, but the quality and consistency they demand in the clues will be difficult to achieve.

That is an excellent prize for all your hard work Well done indeed

I was one of the lucky ones out of the hat this week

I haven't received the book yet.

Oh wow - well done indeed

I used to enter a crossword competition and didn't ever win a prize, but it was much easier to complete than The Listener, so I bet thousands of people entered each week...

Do you know what book you will be receiving?

Brewers' Dictionary, I think, although I have heard they sometimes provide alternatives. We'll see.

I just won again! It was a controversial puzzle where the solution was hidden in the preamble. It caused a small storm of protest amongst some of the stuffier regulars

Well done!

Yes, tricky those ones with clues hidden in the preamble That little one you compiled was hard, but the was excellent when I got it