Listener Crossword 4280: Solution Notes
Face Off by BeRo
Puzzle explanation
The NW-SE diagonal shows ANAGRAM jumbled in the circled cells. The other diagonal similarly consists of alternating jumbles of J DRYDEN and J DONNE. John Dryden’s poem MacFlecknoe includes the couplet:
Thy genius calls thee not to (purchase) fame In keen iambics, but mild (anagram)
from which pairs of words were anagrammed by the clues’ initials as follows: EIGHTY SUN; SHELL CATE; ON TOT; AMEN IF; SKI AMBIENCE; LIT DUMB. Lines 3-7 of John Donne’s The Anagram are:
For, though her eyes be small, her mouth is great, Though they be ivory, yet her teeth be jet, Though they be dim, yet she is light enough, And though her harsh hair fall, her skin is rough; What though her cheeks be yellow, her hair’s red;
Accordingly, the following features in the grid are entered as described: EYES (small or lower-case letters), TEETH (black), CHEEKS (yellow), HAIR (red or some representation of “harsh” letters).
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Across | ||
| 1 | GHASTNESS | (NESSIE − IE) after (HAS in GT) |
| 7 | PREY | PRAY with E(xplicitly) for A |
| 10 | DEBTEE | DEB + TEE |
| 11 | THEREON | (HER NOTE) * |
| 13 | ALAAP | À LA + AP(ples) |
| 15 | BRAG | (yo)B + RAG |
| 18 | J-PEN | J + PEN |
| 19 | ATOKAL | (se)A (habita)T (to)O (dan)K (Bermud)A (petre)L |
| 20 | CODEINE | (NO DICE) * + E |
| 22 | CHOREIC | (SHORT − ST) in (C + ICE *) |
| 25 | LANAIS | LANAS around I |
| 27 | SET POT | SET + TOP < |
| 29 | IRISATE | IRIS + (l)ATE |
| 30 | PERAEON | PER + AE + ON |
| 31 | SNORTY | TYSON * around R |
| 34 | EGAD | (A + (roun)D) after EG |
| 38 | AIRN | CAIRN − C |
| 39 | SCAUP | S/C + A + UP |
| 40 | SNEAKER | STREAKER with N for (T + R) |
| 41 | CHAKRA | CHAP − P + ARK < |
| 42 | JANN | JAN + N |
| 43 | ORPHANISM | OR + (MAN IS) * after (SOPH − SO) |
| Down | ||
| 1 | G’DAY | (D(orothy) G(ale)) < + AY |
| 2 | HELOT | TO < after HEL(l) |
| 3 | STACK | 2 meanings |
| 4 | NEBEL | BEEN * + L(oudly) |
| 5 | SHAKOES | O in SHAKES |
| 6 | SEGS | (S(hoe) + S) around EG |
| 7 | PROJECTS | PRO + J + ETC * + S |
| 8 | REN | (Bonfi)RE N(ight) |
| 9 | EOCENE | ((k)EEN COE) * |
| 12 | NONETTE | NOTE around TEN < |
| 14 | PHAEIC | A in (CIE + HP) < |
| 16 | NOONER | NO + RENO < |
| 17 | ECCRINE | ECCE around RIN(d) |
| 21 | IMPART | IT around (M’ + PAR) |
| 22 | CLYPEUS | CLY + PEU + S(pider) |
| 23 | RAMADHAN | (MA HAD RAN) * |
| 24 | SEINES | (grils)SE IN ES(tuary) |
| 26 | SNOWIER | (NOW RISE) * |
| 28 | REGINA | (A REIGN) * |
| 31 | SYNCH | homophone of CINQUE |
| 32 | OSCAN | (T)OSCAN(ini) |
| 33 | TOURS | STOUR with S moved to the end |
| 35 | MAKO | MAK(e) + O’ |
| 36 | SPAM | MAPS < |
| 37 | DEN | (cleane)D + NE < |