Five Dots by Franc

Puzzle explanation

The puzzle celebrated the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei’s discovery of four moons of Jupiter. The dots represent Jupiter and the moons, their letters provided at those points by crossing entries, from top: (tzi)gany/(so)mede(le), Ju(venal)/(cha)piter, (Galile)i/(Galile)o, (mass)eur/opa(city), (s)call(op)/(b)isto(ury). The names were to be entered beneath the grid in any order and the common element of Galileo’s names was to be highlighted. The extra words in clues led to: “I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forgo their use”, attributed to Galileo.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

Number Extra word Answer Explanation
Across
1 ice-show SNAFU UNSAF(e) *
4 Delhi PSILOSIS (PSI + SIS) about LO
10 overt OAFISH O/A + F + IS + H(e)
12 north LEELANE EEL in LANE
13 Oates BURN BURNS – S
14 Telecine ORACY O + RACY
16 Foreign DRAP D [Duke] + RAP; the definition, which seems a common usage, is confirmed in The Oxford Dictionary of English. Also, see below the table.
17 exfoliants TZI[GANY] ZIT *
19 elaborate ATHEIST AT + HEIST
21 LNER LIE Two definitions
23 Ogilvie SEAL SEPTAL – PT
24 Burma ETA Hidden
26 lass CAREER CARER about E
27 Idaho [JU]VENAL Two definitions (VENAL)
32 Gwen DESCRY DES [O’Connor] + CRY
35 “Eureka” ELO OLÉ <
36 Devonian MASS[EUR] Two definitions (MASS)
38 tramped EARN EAR + N
40 Omani TITTY TITTUPY “not UP”
41 Belgian COMMIX COMMIE + X – E
42 escargot S[CALL]OP Two definitions (SOP)
43 love IODINE INDIGENOUS * – SUNG *; I is the symbol for iodine
46 ideal HUMAN HUM + AN
48 equatorial CETOLOGY Composite anagram of MY COLLEGE TOO, using LOMÉ
50 vine ARAROBA (A + BO + RA) < after AR
51 erotic DIOL IDOL *
52 twit SYNASTRY Composite anagram of DR SAY NASTY, using DA
53 hip-bath ENDED MENDED – M(ixer)
Down
1 Abba SOBOLE OB in SOLE
2 Tales NAUTICAL Homophone (NAUGHTY) + CAL
3 Thai FINI (IN + FI) <
4 Helen PHRASE R(ichardson) in PHASE
5 Elegant SLATER SR about LATE
6 Stable LEY (YE + L) <
7 American OLDIE (s)OLDIE(r)
8 mound SARSEN AR(chaeologists) in NESS <
9 exile SEPIA PI in SEA
11 Good SO[MEDE]LE Two definitions (SOLE)
15 ombu CHA[PITER] Two definitions (CHA)
18 decides ZEALOT TO LAZE *
20 Watchet ELVER Hidden
22 hairdo PRIMIPARA PRIM + I’ + PARÁ
25 off TARRING TAR + RING
28 hitherto LYNX-EYED Homophone (LINKS I’D)
29 abhor GEISHAS Homophone (GAY) + SHAHS – H
30 song LATINOS ALTO’S IN *
31 Euro ESTOC Hidden
33 not SEMÉ SE(sa)ME
34 Dutch CAMWOOD CAM + WOOD
37 one-horse [OPA]CITY Two definitions (CITY)
39 Wali B[ISTO]URY Two definitions (BURY)
44 error DEAR DARE *
45 Dolgellau NODE NOD + (com)E
47 uridines MAN First letters
49 Saline LIN (c)LIN(t)
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