Listener Crossword 4348: Solution Notes
Quads by Shark
Puzzle explanation
The initial grid fill is shown here. Instructions from paired clues were “turn NW quadrant to SE” (contents of the NW block are inverted to replace contents of the SE quadrant), “fill with original entries’ initials” (the NW quadrant is refilled with the original letters from the grid’s 36 starting cells), and “anagram same eight letters”. Extra words gave “successive letters from original paired clues”; taking the first letter of the first such clue, the second letter of the second, etc, provided the first 35 letters to refill the NW quadrant, in order. As the 36th clue had only 35 letters, the 36th refill letter had to be deduced as K, the only unused starting-cell letter. Finally, the eight letters unchanged in the NW and SE quadrants formed ACADEMIA.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Extra/switched word (paired clue) | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | successive | ALLEMANDE | (MAN + D) in ALLÉE |
| 10 | ailment → tipple (16ac) | NOG | NO + G |
| 12 | nephew → Rex (5dn) | MIAUL | I in MAUL |
| 13 | letters | SADDENS | ADD in SEN + S |
| 14 | timber → now (2dn) | AGO | (w)AGO(n) |
| 15 | Tongan → uncultivated (29dn) | MOOR | MO(t)OR |
| 16 | tipple → ailment (10ac) | ICTERUS | (indulg)E in CITRUS * |
| 18 | express → alimentary (22dn) | ILEAL | IL + EA + L |
| 20 | sell → trader (24ac) | LADED | ED after LAD |
| 21 | looseness → thinness (36ac) | RARITY | RAY around RIT |
| 23 | from | URESIS | URE + SIS |
| 24 | trader → sell (20ac) | DENET | DENNET − N |
| 26 | monarch → folk (19dn) | CHOIR | (E)CHO IR(ishness) |
| 28 | incline → looters (30ac) | DAKOITS | SKODA * around IT |
| 30 | Looters → Incline (28ac) | LEAN | L + EAN |
| 32 | elephant → tree (1dn) | ITA | (t)ITA(n) |
| 33 | extended → raised (3dn) | STAIRED | (IS TRADE) * |
| 34 | ruler → indeed (31dn) | EEVEN | NÉVÉ < around E |
| 35 | toothache → nursemaid (25dn) | AIA | AIL − L + A |
| 36 | thinness → looseness (21dn) | SQUITTERS | S(craping) + QUITTERS |
| Down | |||
| 1 | tree → elephant (32ac) | ANIMAL | MAL(e) after ANI |
| 2 | now → timber (14ac) | LOBO | LOB + O(K) |
| 3 | raised → extended (33ac) | ÉCARTÉS | CREATES * |
| 4 | Roman → Spanish (11dn) | MADRID | MA + DRUID − U |
| 5 | Rex → nephew (12ac) | NIECE | N + (p)IECE |
| 6 | sublime → tart (8dn) | EISEL | EEL around IS |
| 7 | attractive → atmospheric (9dn) | HAAR | HANGAR − NG |
| 8 | tart → sublime (6dn) | AUGUSTER | R(etaliated) after AUGUSTE |
| 9 | atmospheric → attractive (7dn) | GLOSSY | LOGS * + SY |
| 11 | Spanish → Roman (4dn) | EDILES | (ID in SELE) < |
| 13 | hosiery → mould (23dn) | SODDED | (G)ODDES(s) * + D |
| 17 | technojunkies → stories (27dn) | NARRATED | (ERR + N + DATA) * |
| 19 | folk → monarch (26ac) | KINGED | KIN + (a)GED |
| 21 | original | RAISIN | RAI + SIN |
| 22 | alimentary → express (18ac) | REFLECT | R + ELECT around F |
| 23 | mould → hosiery (13dn) | UNDIES | UN + DIES |
| 24 | paired | DRY ROT | DR + TORY < |
| 25 | nursemaid → toothache (35ac) | TONGAS | TO + N + GAS |
| 26 | clues | COSES | CLOSES − L |
| 27 | stories → technojunkies (17dn) | OTAKU | (AK + U) after OT |
| 29 | uncultivated → Tongan (15ac) | KAVA | KA(y) + VA |
| 31 | indeed → ruler (34ac) | AMIR | (g)AM(e) + (b)IR(d) |