Listener Crossword 4342: Solution Notes
Triskaidekaphilia by BeRo
Puzzle explanation
All numbers in the preamble and clues were in base 13. The sums of the 13 letter values in each of the 13 grid sections are successive multiples of 13, up to 169. The 12 clashing letters in the grid gave George Orwell, whose novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (B98 in base 13) starts with clocks striking 13. In Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy 42 is revealed as the ultimate Answer, while in The Restaurant at the End of the Universe the Question is discovered to be “What do you get if you multiply six by nine?” Adams intended this to be deliberately wrong, but in base 13 it is correct, as “42” is the base-13 representation of the number 54.
Hidden among the clues were the names of the Thirteen Colonies that became the original states of the USA, Ophiuchus (sometimes considered the 13th sign of the zodiac), a baker’s dozen and Judas, supposedly the 13th man at the Last Supper.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Across | ||
| 1 | BABACO | BABA + CO |
| 6 | REBECCA | BEER * + C + CA’ |
| C | ABELE | ABEL + E |
| 10 | GAEA | AE in GA |
| 11 | CABIRIAN | (IN ARABIC) * |
| 12 | ARDEA | AR + DE + A |
| 13 | KNOB | (BO + N + (Yor)K) < |
| 14 | GEST | GENT with S for N |
| 15 | DOLED | DD around OLÉ |
| 17 | EDDO | ((go)OD DE(cision)) < |
| 19 | RENEGED | RE + N + (Hampshir)E + G + ED(ict) |
| 1C | RECURS | RE + (SC < around UR) |
| 21 | GNOMIC | COMING * |
| 23 | CLAMPED | L in CAMPED |
| 26 | AGHA | (t)A(x) + G + H + A |
| 28 | IDEAL | I + DEAL |
| 2B | IGAD | (Wh)IG AD(vice) |
| 31 | GRAF | RAF after G |
| 32 | FINED | FIN + ED |
| 33 | THERIACA | (ACHE AT + RI) * |
| 34 | GUSH | (Monta)GU’S H(arrier) |
| 35 | ELAND | (MARYLAND − MARY) after E |
| 36 | SLEDGED | S(trauss) + (Be)L(l) + EDGED |
| 37 | ACCEDE | A + CC + (rea)D in EE |
| Down | ||
| 1 | BACKER | BR around CAKE * |
| 2 | ABAND | BAND after A’ |
| 3 | BABOON | (BOOB + N + (Carolin)A) * |
| 4 | CORBE | 2 meanings |
| 5 | OLID | O(phiuchus) + LID |
| 6 | REAMED | R + EA + MED |
| 7 | ERNE | ((gold)EN RE(triever)) < |
| 8 | BAAED | (A + A(n) É(clair)) in B(aker’s) D(ozen) |
| 9 | CADEAU | (A + CUTE + AD − T) * |
| A | CAESURAE | ARE * after (CA + USE *) |
| B | AGATES | (Virgini)A + GATE + ’S |
| 16 | LEAM | (MALEMUTE − MUTE) * |
| 18 | DEAW | DAW around E |
| 1A | LAND GIRL | L (3B13 = 5010) + AND + GIRL |
| 1B | EACH | REACH − R |
| 20 | CAME | homophone of KAME/KAIM |
| 21 | GLIFTS | FLIGHTS * − (Edinburg)H |
| 22 | ORANGE | 2 meanings |
| 23 | CACHED | C + A + (Conne)C(ticut) + (Massac)H(usetts) + ED |
| 24 | PARADE | PA + RAD + (independenc)E |
| 25 | DEFACE | DE + F + ACE |
| 27 | GADSO | (AD + (Juda)S) in GO |
| 29 | DIRAC | (I’D + C + R + A) * |
| 2A | LACED | LAC + (us)ED |
| 2C | ETHE | (Prom)ETHE(us) |
| 30 | MELA | M + ALE < |