Listener Crossword 3948: Solution Notes
Word for Word by Aragon
Puzzle explanation
Superfluous (extra) words in clues spelt “Take preamble literally”. Following this advice, the preamble could be read as: Initial letters of “superfluous words in twenty-one clues help” (= SWITCH) give the first part of an instruction to solvers. This instruction is completed by “three pairs of ‘grid’ ‘entries’, so that the asterisked squares read ‘correctly’ ”. Three pairs of answers (lattice/records, network/portals, grille/foyers) are, literally, “grid/entries”. Solvers needed to switch these pairs so that CORRECTLY appeared in the indicated squares. (No highlighting was required.)
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Extra word | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACROSS | |||
| 1 | – | FLACK | C(ommission) in FLAK |
| 5 | topless | LATTICE | LATE about TIC |
| 12 | – | FEARGAL | … won’t FEAR GAL; reference Irish name possibly meaning “man of courage” |
| 14 | axing | YARRAN | YARN about RA |
| 15 | kaftans | OWE | WE coming after O; reference bank account |
| 16 | – | PORTALS | PORT (Deal is one) + AL’S (Capone) |
| 17 | – | COOP | O in COP; reference TV show about two policemen |
| 18 | eventually | RENOWN | ENOW (obsolete “enough”) in RN |
| 21 | paper | SELF-ABSORBED | BEEF OLD BRASS* |
| 23 | – | CRASH-LANDING | CLAN + DIN about RASH + G(randson) |
| 28 | rashly | JESTER | Hidden reversed |
| 30 | – | ONER | (l)ONER |
| 31 | – | NETWORK | WORK after NET |
| 34 | – | TAR | TAR(t); verbal use of tar |
| 35 | Embarrassed | VAKEEL | (A + V) < + KEEL |
| 36 | – | ISOSPIN | I’S + OS + PIN; reference monetary security code |
| 37 | acknowledged | ASCITES | ETC IS AS*; breadbasket, as stomach, is part of abdomen |
| 38 | mistress | GAFFE | (tub)E after GAFF |
| DOWN | |||
| 1 | butler | FOYERS | ER in FOYS |
| 2 | – | LEAP | EA in (a)LP(s) |
| 3 | – | APRON | APR(il) + ON |
| 4 | like | CURR | CUR with extra R |
| 6 | Egyptian | AEOLUS | Alternate letters: mAdE fOuL cUrSe |
| 7 | lifting | TAWSE | SWEAT* |
| 8 | – | IGLOO | GI < + Loo (heads, as toilet); popular concept of construction of igloo |
| 9 | in | CAROTENE | TRACE ONE* |
| 10 | – | ELOPED | POLE < + E (Ecstasy tablet) + D |
| 11 | – | FATWAH | FAH (note after me) about TWA (Scots for two) |
| 13 | tied | RECORDS | RE + CORDS |
| 19 | Europe | EERINESS | SS after (E’ER + IN + E) |
| 20 | – | OF SORTS | O + FORT’S about S |
| 22 | – | ONE-WAY | O + (AY after NEW (compass points)) |
| 23 | rudimentary | CHORIA | OR in (A(re) under CHI) |
| 24 | air-raid | LEERIE | IRE < in LEE |
| 25 | legends | GRILLE | GRILLE(d) |
| 26 | – | MÉDOC | “ME DOC” (Snow White); Médoc is principally a red wine district, giving its name to its wine |
| 27 | lot | UNAPT | UN + PT about A |
| 29 | – | TREIF | (FIT about ER) < |
| 32 | – | OKTA | OKLA(homa) with T for L |
| 33 | youngster | KERF | (KNIFER – NI)* |