Listener Crossword 3942: Solution Notes
Advice by MynoT
Puzzle explanation
The key to completing each of the four sub-grids is the need to have a pair of six-letter answers starting with the same letter. There are few such pairs and once each is used, two further six-letter answers are removed from the stock available for other sub-grids. The alphabetical order of the answers also helps identify and solve these key clues. As the stock of answers diminishes, one can guess where some of the shorter answers may lie, giving further feedback from the sub-grids.
Once these sub-grids are complete, there are 24 possible ways in which they could be arranged. Only one of these provides a sensible message reading across the rows: the start of the students’ song Gaudeamus igitur, / Juvenes dum sumus (Let us then rejoice, / While we are young), which can be found in several sources, including the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations and Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase & Fable; the first two words are in the main part of The Chambers Dictionary.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|
| ALATE | A + LATE |
| AMID | A + MID(den) |
| ANTI | AN + TI |
| ASPEN | ASP + EN |
| AUDE | AUBADE – BA |
| BARITE | BARITONE – ON |
| BASALT | SALT after BA |
| CELLS | Two definitions; laura (not the proper name) is a group of cells |
| CUBEB | BE (bill of exchange) in CUB |
| DEACON | DON about ACE*; Scottish word for an adept |
| DEED | DELAYED (Spenserian) – LAY |
| DOSI-DO | DO AS I DO – A |
| DUELS | DU + ELS |
| DUETT | DUE + TT |
| DUMB | DU + MB |
| EANS | PAEANS – PA; drop as in “give birth” by animal |
| ECHOER | (CHEER + O)* |
| EVENLY | EVELYN with N earlier |
| FOLLY | JOLLY with F for J |
| GEISER | G + (RE + SYE) < |
| IDLING | ID + LING |
| IGOR | I + GO + R; reference Borodin’s Prince Igor |
| INCOME | INCO(g) + ME (also known as chronic fatigue sydrome) |
| INLET | IN + LET |
| JEMMY | Two definitions |
| JUVE | JIVE with U (homophone) for I |
| MUST | Two definitions |
| NEBRIS | N + (d)EBRIS |
| NESSUS | NESS + US |
| ONYXES | SEXY NO* |
| RACER | RACIER – I |
| RISPS | SIR < + PS |
| SESE | SEE about S; sese, a variant of sessa, a Shakespearean interjection |
| SITS ON | IT in SONS* |
| SKEGGS | SKEGGERS – (E + R) |
| SLOE | SLOPE – P(iste) |
| SLUSH | S + LUSH |
| SMEES | S + SEEM < |
| SNEBS | SNOBS with E for O |
| SNEE | Hidden |
| SOFTAS | SOFT + AS |
| STOL | STOLIDLY – IDLY |
| SULCI | Hidden, reversed |
| TRUTHY | (Y + HURT) < about T(ooth) |
| TURN | TURNCOAT – COAT |
| USER | US + ER |
| USURE | U + SURE |
| YEGG | (dodg)Y + EGG |