Listener Crossword 3993: Solution Notes
Argentum by Radix
Puzzle explanation
The message read “In four pairs, both words must be permuted similarly, and one then encoded”. Four answers (35ac ulnare, 39ac overslip, 21dn long-head, 27dn Riyadh) had to be permuted before entry to the form indicated by the wordplay. The diametrically opposite answers had to be permuted similarly and then Playfair-encoded, leading back to the original answers.
ULNARE → NEURAL (order 361542), forcing SPRENT → RTSNEP, whose encoded form had to be SPRENT. Hence, under the encoding, RT → SP, SN → RE, EP → NT.
OVERSLIP → SLIPOVER (order 56781234), forcing WINSOMER → OMERWINS, whose encoded form had to be WINSOMER. Hence, under the encoding, OM → WI, ER → NS, WI → OM, NS → ER.
LONGHEAD → HEADLONG (order 56781234), forcing CONSIDER → IDERCONS, whose encoded form had to be CONSIDER. Hence, under the encoding, ID → CO, ER → NS, CO → ID, NS → ER.
RIYADH → HYDRIA (order 635124), forcing WHARFS → SAFWHR, whose encoded form had to be WHARFS. Hence, under the encoding, SA → WH, FW → AR, HR → FS.
The code phrase, MINCE WORDS (see below), could be found in the normal way, and the unclued words were then deducible as hint, talk, news, sign (all defined by “word” in Chambers Dictionary). To get the title, solvers had to “permute argument”, ie, “mince words”.
The Playfair square is as follows:
| M | I | N | C | E |
| W | O | R | D | S |
| A | B | F | G | H |
| K | L | P | Q | T |
| U | V | X | Y | Z |
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Extra word | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | indoors | COWL | L after COW |
| 4 | fielders | WINSOMER | WIN + SOME + R |
| 10 | overtaking | OPHIOLATER | P in OHIO + LATER |
| 12 | urchin | SPRENT | R in SPENT |
| 14 | paste | SAR | Two definitions |
| 16 | inscribed | OCTET | O + C(oin) + TÊT(e) |
| 18 | rival | FOIN | IN/FO → FO/IN |
| 20 | swish | MWAH | WHAM * |
| 22 | bombers | DIS | Two definitions (Detective Inspectors) |
| 24 | thirsty | DISGORGE | DIE about GROGS < |
| 25 | whatever | ENFETTER | TRENCH-FEET * – CH |
| 27 | ordered | HOA | HOA(gie) |
| 28 | down | ROOF | (FLOOR – L) < |
| 29 | schmaltzy | POSY | Two definitions |
| 31 | musician | ERECT | CRETE * |
| 34 | strawberry | DAL | Two definitions (decalitre) |
| 35 | beagle’s | ULNARE | (NEURAL) NE + URAL ← ULNARE |
| 38 | persistent | VEGETATION | V + NEGOTIATE *; will = astray (Scot) |
| 39 | revolutionaries | OVERSLIP | (SLIP-OVER) OP < in SLIVER ← OVERSLIP |
| 40 | Maoist | HANG | HAN + G |
| Down | |||
| 1 | upsets | CONSIDER | CON + SIDER |
| 2 | text | WHARFS | W(illiam) + HAS about RF |
| 3 | deserves | LIMBO | LIMB + O |
| 4 | sexy | WOKE | W + OKE |
| 5 | igneous | ILMENITE | MELINITE * |
| 6 | minesweeper | NAS | N + AS |
| 7 | Latin | OER | O(vid) + (V)E(rgil) + (Ho)R(ace); alternative spelling of Virgil |
| 8 | reflex | ENNEAGONAL | (ONE ANGLE + A + N) * |
| 9 | leisurely | RITT | RIT. + T |
| 11 | yachting | CAMINO REAL | A MINOR EA in CL |
| 13 | negligible | PONG | PONGO – O |
| 19 | dodged | PSEPHITE | P(lay the fool) + (PISTE HE) * |
| 21 | needs | LONG-HEAD | (HEADLONG) HE + A + OLD < + N + G ← LONG-HEAD |
| 26 | thanks | TATA | TA + TA |
| 27 | eats | RIYADH | (HYDRIA) HYDE – E + RIA(l) ← RIYADH |
| 30 | New | SLOTH | SLOT + H(ampshire) |
| 31 | needs | ENDS | Centre of (childr)EN D(isplay) + S |
| 33 | comedians | PEAR | Homophone (PAIR) |
| 36 | delivers | REP | PER < |
| 37 | degraded | LEV | LEV(y) |