Listener Crossword 4034: Solution Notes
Overhead Reduction by Schadenfreude
Puzzle explanation
The published blank grid was created by excising, from what is the required solution grid, the central column, closing up the gap and removing the entries and bars, thus cutting out “the middle man”, reflecting the puzzle’s title. Affected clued words are, top to bottom: areolae, pooris, scribe, arabis, prating, inisle, rifted, tierces, vanish, mantra, breast, anicuts.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Across | |
| AREOLAE | A + ROLE * + AE |
| MURRE | RUM < + RE |
| POORIS | OR in POI + S |
| NAPRON | N + A + PR + ON |
| EASIER | (A + (b)EER + IS) * |
| SCRIBE | ’S + RIB in CE |
| ARABIS | A + RABIS |
| PRATING | RATING after P |
| INISLE | (S + LINE) * after I; inch = island |
| EGEST | Composite anagram of DELEGATES using DEAL; sick used as verb |
| GNAWN | WANG < + ’N’ |
| RIFTED | (F + TRIED) * |
| TIERCES | C(los)E in TIERS |
| VANISH | V + A + N + ISH |
| MANTRA | MANA about TR |
| DONNÉE | DONNE + (Laureat)E |
| UPLIFT | UP + LIFT; ride = a lift in a vehicle (N Am) |
| BREAST | R in BEAST; surprisingly this word for a police officer is given as slang rather than derogatory in The Chambers Dictionary |
| SONCE | (’S + ONE) about C |
| ANICUTS | C in (A + N + SUIT) * |
| Down | |
| APEAK | A + PEAK |
| ROARING | (O’ + AR) in (R + ING) |
| ORIBIS | S after (I’ + BIRO) < |
| LIE-IN | (E(njoyed) + I) in LIN |
| ENSURER | URE in (EN + SR) |
| MACE | M + ACE |
| UPRATE | UP + RATE |
| ROBIN | ROBIN before G gives ROBING |
| ENERGID | GREEN * + I(nmate) + D |
| SATINET | With B, SATINET gives an anagram of TIBETANS |
| DISTAIN | (D + ISN’T) * around A |
| ISTHMUS | THIS * + MU’S |
| ENEMATA | (A’ + MENE) < + T’ + A |
| TERSEST | SETTERS * |
| ARCTIC | C in ARTIC |
| FENNEC | NEC(k) after FEN |
| IGAPÓ | I + GAP + O’ |
| MAORI | ROMAI(c) * |
| WHETS | W + THE * + S |
| ORFE | FOR * + E |