Listener Crossword 3933: Solution Notes
Lay ____ Out by Zero
Puzzle explanation
Letters absent from wordplay gave
“(Italy) is a geographical expression” (Metternich).
The seven large dots mark major cities,
formed from contributions of crossing answers.
In grid order: Milan (sawmill/
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| THEMATIC CLUES | ||
| *44ac | NISI | N + I; entry is N••I or NI••, later seen as the former version |
| 2ac | SACCADIC | CC + D in SAIC; entry is SACC•DIC |
| 19dn | TEGU | Alternate letters in ThE sUn; entry is TE•U |
| 2dn | STATUTE | S + TATU + ’T; entry is STATUT• |
| *23dn | ENHALOING | (INHALE + N)*; entry is ENHAL•IN• |
| *21dn | STORM DRAIN | STORMED IN – E; entry is STORMD••IN |
| *46ac | PANSOPHY | O in PANSY; entry is PANSO••Y |
| 15ac | IGNORE | N in GORE; entry is •GNORE |
| 26ac | FLORESCENCE | (LORE + S) in FENCE; entry is FLORES•ENCE |
| *39ac | STALL | ST + L; entry is ST•L• or ST••L, later seen as the former version |
| 28ac | SONSE | Two definitions; entry is SONS• |
| 13ac | OREXIS | IS after ORE; entry is ORE•IS |
| 5dn | PRETENCE | Hidden; entry is •RETENCE |
| *33dn | VERREY | Two definitions; entry is VE•R•Y |
| 14ac | SAWMILL | (A+WM) + ILL; entry is •AWMILL |
| 42ac | TISRI | TIRE – E; entry is TI•R• |
| 1dn | TSOTSI SUIT | I + SUIT after TS< TS<; entry is TS•TSISUIT |
| 17dn | UM AND AH | HAD A MU <; entry is UMA•DAH |
| ACROSS | ||
| 8 | MALL | (LLAMA – A) < |
| 12 | STAY | A in STY |
| 16 | RING OUT | UT after RINGO (Starr) |
| 18 | VENT-PIPES | PIP in EVENTS* |
| 22 | STROAMED | STR + (A in DEMO <) |
| 24 | ELT | L in ET |
| 29 | EAU | BEAU – B |
| 30 | CHIRR | CHI + R + R |
| 31 | ACID DROP | DROP following ACID |
| 34 | ICE | TICE – T |
| 36 | UNAPPLIED | UN + APP + LIED, ref Mathematics |
| 37 | TROCHEE | (E after OCHE) after (T’+R) |
| 40 | FAVELA | FAVE + LA |
| 43 | CAMERA | CAME + RA |
| 45 | NERK | N + ERK |
| Down | ||
| 3 | CYANOGENESIS | O in (CYAN + GENESIS) |
| 4 | COL | COLT – T |
| 6 | DELICE | DE + LICE |
| 7 | CIG | (GI + C) < |
| 9 | ALOPECIA | LOPE in (A + CIA), ref baldness = fallout (facetiously: note the ?) |
| 10 | LOREL | LO + RE + L |
| 11 | LEE | EEL <, Edmund = Spenser, who used the word |
| 20 | PRECEPT | CEP in PRET |
| 25 | ONCE-OVER | E in (ON + COVER) |
| 27 | SAME | SHAME – H |
| 29 | EDGE | ED + (EG <) |
| 32 | PLESSORS | (PRESS with L for R) + (SRO <) |
| 35 | CRAVE | C + RAVE |
| 38 | ETEN | E + TEN, ref Jack the Giant-killer |
| 40 | FON | (N + OF) < |
| 41 | LAP | Three definitions |
| 42 | TAO | OAT < |