Listener Crossword 3956: Solution Notes
A & D by The Tall’n
Puzzle explanation
The puzzle marked the Diamond Wedding anniversary of the Queen and Prince Philip on November 20, 2007, revealed by the highlighted cells. Ten A answers were types of gifts associated with different wedding anniversaries: 1 paper, 3 leather, 6 iron, 7 wool, 11 steel, 12 linen, 13 lace, 20 china, 40 ruby, 50 gold, which were to be numbered with the appropriate number of years. (These were to be numbered using the convention set out in an Appendix to Chambers Dictionary, as indicated in the preamble.) A further ten across entries were words associated with “diamond”: hitch, shaped, sparkler, baseball, dust, rivière, dove, Koh-i-noor, Cullinan, beetle, in eight cases defined with the inclusion of “diamond” , eg, “baseball diamond” clued by “part of field”. D clues were entered in cells forming a diamond in the grid, starting at the numbered cell.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| A CLUES | ||
| 2 | HITCH | H + ITCH |
| 8 | SHAPED | AP in SHED |
| (40) | RUBY | RUB + Y |
| (6) | IRON | (OR in NI) < |
| 15 | SPARKLER | KL in SPARER |
| 17 | BASEBALL | BASS + BALL |
| (1) | PAPER | PA + PER |
| (12) | LINEN | LINE + N |
| 21 | DUST | Two definitions |
| 22 | ASCI | SC in AI |
| 25 | RIVIERE | (IE + R) in RIVE; reference ice as diamonds, rope as a string of precious stones |
| (7) | WOOL | L after WOO |
| (13) | LACE | DECAL – D |
| (3) | LEATHER | THE in LEAR |
| 33 | DOVE | Two definitions; one North American |
| 34 | EDGE | (l)EDGE(r) |
| (20) | CHINA | CHIN + A |
| 37 | BALDY | L earlier in BADLY; Scottish meaning |
| 39 | KOH-I-NOOR | HI + NO in ROOK < |
| 41 | CULLINAN | CULL + I + NAN(a) |
| (50) | GOLD | GOD about L |
| 45 | NAAN | NAAM, M replaced by N |
| 49 | BEETLE | BEATLE (John Lennon) with E for A (it) |
| (11) | STEEL | ST + EEL |
| D CLUES | ||
| 4 | TREENAIL | (ATELIER + N)* |
| 5 | HUER | Homophone (hewer) |
| 8 | SCAB | SCAB < |
| 10 | BARS | Two definitions |
| 9 | EMES | SEEM* |
| 18 | PUPA-CASE | PA about UP + CASE |
| 14 | RUIN | RUIN(g) |
| 14 | RUNS | (d)RUN(k) + S |
| 16 | REPHRASE | SHARPER* + E |
| 19 | EARS | (h)EARS |
| 18 | PERT | PER + T |
| 29 | CETE | Two definitions |
| 23 | CIAO | CIA + O |
| 23 | COAL | A in COL |
| 24 | GIBE | B in GIE |
| 26 | VELIGERS | (REG’S + VILE)* |
| 27 | OLEA | (AE + LO(w)) < |
| 38 | LUBE | BLUE* |
| 28 | DISH | Even letters in “admits she” |
| 31 | TIED | Homophone (tide) |
| 29 | COLE | COLE(y) |
| 29 | CONE | First letters |
| 30 | EDAM | MADE < (from the East) |
| 41 | CADDICES | CAD + DICES |
| 32 | SHIM | S + HIM |
| 32 | SMOTHERS | MOTHER in SS |
| 35 | GLUTTONY | GUILT* – I + TONY |
| 44 | CUTE | CUT + E |
| 36 | INNUENDO | IN + UNDONE* |
| 47 | ANUS | JANUS – J; Roman guardian of doors |
| 42 | NAIN | Alternate letters in “invasion” |
| 46 | AEON | AE + ON; “for them” refers back to “Scotland’s” |
| 43 | LOGY | THEOLOGY – (THE + O) |
| 48 | YELL | YE + ’LL |