Listener Crossword 4019: Solution Notes
Au Contraire by Sabre
Puzzle explanation
The clashing letters spelt “Ceci n’est pas un mots-croisés” and the central column, to be highlighted, gave René Magritte, the inspiration being Magritte’s painting depicting a pipe, entitled “Ceci n’est pas une pipe”. Sources differ as to whether mots-croisés is singular or plural; here the former is used, forced by the start of the thematic sentence.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Across | ||
| 1a | OVA | (l)OVA(t) |
| 1b | SPRINGHASE | HAS in SPRINGE |
| 2a | ARENA | (AN + ERA) < |
| 2b | RUSSKIES | SURE KISS * |
| 3a | STAINS | S(ee) + T(he)+ A(reola) + IN + S |
| 3b | CONGREE | CONGEE about (ou)R |
| 4a | WANTAGE | Two definitions. Wantage left Berkshire to join Oxfordshire in 1974; although this makes the clue a subtle & lit (Wantage is lacking in Berkshire), the editors apologise for failing to notice this change |
| 4b | TRADER | TRA- + DER(V) |
| 5a | CALL ALARM | (L + ALAR) in CALM |
| 5b | HETE | H + ÉTÉ (summer in French) |
| 6a | OVERSAILS | O’ + VERSAILLES – LE |
| 6b | SUPP. | ’S + UP + P |
| 7a | VINING | DIVINING – DI |
| 7b | MAESTRI | MAE (West) + S + TRI- |
| 8a | LOCOED | COED after (L + O) |
| 8b | FAR GONE | OF ANGER * |
| 9a | LWEI | Hidden |
| 9b | WISECRACK | (I + SEC) in WRACK |
| 10a | ERGATANERS | ARE STRANGE * |
| 10b | KAI | KAZI – Z |
| 11a | PARALYTIC | (C + A(mputating) + I(dots) + PARTLY) *; references to being drunk |
| 11b | AS IF | A + FIS(h) < |
| 12a | MISERERES | MISER + SERE < |
| 12b | SASS | ’S + AS + S; reference Augusta, Georgia to indicate N Am usage |
| Down | ||
| 1a | PICKAPACK | PICK + A + PACK |
| 1b | AWL | A + W + L |
| 2a | OVOLI | O’ + VOL + I(nspiration) |
| 2b | ASOCIAL | A + SOC + I’ + AL |
| 3a | VEENA | E in VENA |
| 3b | VIEWERS | R in (VI + EWES) |
| 4a | AMASS | AM + AS + (Christma)S |
| 4b | SLENDER | S + LENDER |
| 5a | LISA | Hidden |
| 5b | CAPRIFIG | FIG below CAPRI |
| 6a | SPROG | ’S + GORP < |
| 6b | RUNAWAY | (UNWARY + A(irman)) * |
| 7a | ENEMA | AMENE < |
| 7b | GRITTER | G + RITTER |
| 8a | AIRING | (f)AIRING |
| 8b | THINGS | THIN + G(ile)S |
| 9a | NARRE | Hidden; in fact, narre is an old comparative for near, so the clue should have used “closer” |
| 9b | LATENCE | LATE about ENC |
| 10a | GREATS | Homophone (GRATES) |
| 10b | ENSEAR | (N + SEE + A) * + R |
| 11a | ROSE-HUED | RED HOUSE *; ref ancient city in Jordan |
| 11b | ESSE | Hidden |
| 12a | CUTLASS | CU + SALT * + S |
| 12b | SASSE | ’S + A + ESS < |
| 13a | FESS | FESTS – T(iredness) |
| 13b | TRAPROCK | TRACK about PRO |