Listener Crossword 4004: Solution Notes
Signal Boxes by Ploy
Puzzle explanation
The puzzle’s theme was the LOGIC of George BOOLE, the English mathematician and philosopher, as realised in CIRCUIT form by Claude SHANNON, the American engineer and information theorist. Together, their work underpins much of today’s digital electronics. Six columns of the grid contained ten clashes between O and I, to be interpreted as signals 0 and 1. The intervening columns contained five logic circuit elements (OR, NOT, AND, NAND — not AND, since all were to be different — and NOR), giving a circuit with five inputs and one output. The four theme words resolved some of the clashes, the remainder being resolved using the logic circuit definitions in Chambers Dictionary. Modified words, Across: 17 viol 20 siri 21 oaty 28 ciao 34 lignin 37 noon; Down: 6 Capitol 30 non-iron 36 ocrea.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Across | ||
| 1 | STEP-UP | First letters |
| 7 | EPACT | EP + ACT |
| 12 | HAPU | (U + PAH) < |
| 13 | DE LA MARE | DELAWARE, M in place of W |
| 15 | TERAPH | TELEGRAPH – (L + EG) |
| 16 | SCRY | SCREWY – (E + W); Bridge partners |
| 17 | VIOL | First letters & lit |
| 18 | NEBISH | NESH about (B + I) |
| 20 | SIRI | INDIRA’S * – AND * |
| 21 | OATY | O + AT + Y |
| 22 | ADIT | A + DIT |
| 23 | ULE | (m)ULE(s) |
| 25 | TAN | Alternate letters of TRAIN; answer is a colour |
| 26 | INNERS | WINNERS – W |
| 28 | CIAO | Alternate letters |
| 30 | NICE | NI(e)CE |
| 33 | WAAC | WC (can) about (A + A) |
| 34 | LIGNIN | (a)LIGNIN(g) |
| 35 | BLINI | BLING, I for G |
| 37 | NOON | N + (bistr)O + ON |
| 38 | OFT | First letters |
| 40 | RORTY | R in middle of TORY * |
| 41 | FALAJ | F + A + JAL < |
| 42 | EYRIR | ER about (YR + I) |
| 43 | ELEGANCE | EL + (CE after (E + GAN(try)) |
| 44 | ALP | Hidden reversed & lit |
| 45 | ÂME DAMNÉE | (E’EN + MADE + MA) < |
| Down | ||
| 1 | SHIV | SHIVA (Siva) – A |
| 2 | TABOO | O in BOAT * |
| 3 | PUTLOG | TUP < + LOG |
| 4 | PEREIA | (r)EPAIRE(d) * |
| 5 | ALABANDINE | (À L’ABANDON, I for O) + E |
| 6 | CAPITOL | POLITICA(l) * – I & lit |
| 8 | PASHA | PASH + A |
| 9 | ARCADE | (C + A + ’D) in ARE |
| 10 | CERCI | Homophone (Circe) |
| 11 | TRYST | TRY + ST; reference Beano comic |
| 13 | DENOTABLE | ((nati)ONAL + DEBT) * + E |
| 14 | FORECASTLES | SOFT CEREALS * |
| 19 | SYNANDRIUM | DANNY * in MUIRS < |
| 20 | SUBWOOFER | USE OF BOW * + (sita)R |
| 24 | LEAF-FALL | LE + ALFALF(a) * |
| 27 | SEA NYMPH | HE-MAN SPY * |
| 29 | ILIA | I + AIL < |
| 30 | NON-IRON | NORIMON <, N for M |
| 31 | INORB | B after (IN + OR) |
| 32 | CUITTLE | (IT + T) in CLUE * |
| 36 | OCREA | (CORE, O to top) + A |
| 39 | GAGA | GAG + A |
| 42 | ENE | Hidden |