Listener Crossword 4038: Solution Notes
Playtime by Samuel
Puzzle explanation
Extra letters in clues gave “enter title’s first letter in slots in the top row; from top, obeying gravity, move wheels half a turn”. Accordingly, the letter P was to be placed in the two empty slots in the top row. From the top down, moving all 16 wheels in the grid by half a turn allowed the two Ps to drop from the top row to the bottom, displaying the phrase “(the) penny drops”, which describes the movement of each of the two letters, as well as what solvers may experience at the puzzle’s denouement. In addition, “eureka” and “I’ve got it” are revealed, together with Archimedes. The title might be parsed as p (penny) + lay (drop) + time (moment).
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Extra letters | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 4 | Black(EN) | BIAS | B + IA + S |
| 10 | Pic(T E)yes | IMAGE | I + MAGE |
| 12 | Repo(RT) | OONT | Hidden |
| 13 | un(IT) | NUCLEON | CLONE UN * |
| 14 | ru(LE) | RUBIA | RU + BIAS (4ac) – S (7) |
| 15 | Sharp(S F)ace | ACUTE | (A + UTE) about C |
| 16 | (IR)king | RANI | R + AN + I |
| 17 | (ST)out | DEMISE | DEVISE, M for V |
| 18 | cast(LE) | SHEATHE | SHED – D + THE after A; see put up in The Chambers Dictionary |
| 21 | no(T T)in | TENOR | NO in TER |
| 23 | plumb(ER) | TRUE | T + homophone (ROO = kangaroo) |
| 24 | (IN)edible | AKEE | (b)AKE(s) + E(dible) |
| 27 | muscle(S, L)awful | ABAFT | AB + FAT * |
| 30 | sp(OT)lit | EGOISTS | (GO IT about S) in ES |
| 32 | (SI)new | RILLES | RIN – N + LL + E(ndles)S |
| 34 | re(NT) | ERRANT | (R + ANT) after RE < |
| 36 | (HE)art | CURTAIL | (CUI(f) + L) about ART * |
| 37 | (TO) | ANION | ON after ANI |
| 38 | (PR)ess | HATE | HASTE (Shakespearean) – S (ess) |
| 39 | End(OW)ing | TYRANNY | (legac)Y in TRANNY |
| Down | |||
| 1 | re(F R)ides | DINERS | (RE + IDES + N – E) * |
| 2 | bro(OM) | JACONET | JACOB – B(bedbug) + O’ + NET |
| 3 | (TO) | AGLAIA | (GALA + (m)AI(d)) *; the removal of the extra letters provides the change: grace to Grace |
| 4 | (PO)sting | BEECH | CH under BEE |
| 5 | Ti(BE)tan | AIN’T | (TITAN – (Everes)T) * |
| 6 | Test(Y I)re | STREET | (TEST + RE) * |
| 7 | Ma(N G)oes | MOUSMEE | (MA + OES + MUTE) * – A – T(ardy) |
| 8 | (GR)oom | DOBBIN | NIBBED <, O(om) for E |
| 9 | (AV)ian’s | STAYER | AYE in STR |
| 11 | (IT)ching | VOUCHEE | (COUCHEE – C(hing)) after V. Ch’ing (a Chinese dynasty) is a proper name; it is in NODE, which also gives ching as the noise made by a cash register |
| 19 | The(Y M)ute | TUTENAG | T’ + UTE + (Lydo)N + A(rcane) + G(oth) |
| 20 | Lay(OV)er | EAGERLY | LAYER * about GE |
| 22 | Cr(EW) | VARECH | (CR + HAVE) * |
| 25 | (HE)ard | KORDA | KO + ARD * |
| 26 | (El)y | ASTONY | ASTON + Y |
| 28 | rule(S H)alt | ALERT | (R + ALT + E) * |
| 29 | A(AL)ly | FLYTE | FLY + T(wic)E |
| 31 | Sa(FA)ri | SASIN | (SARI, R to S(talk)) + N |
| 33 | tin(T U)SA | SNIT | SN + IT |
| 35 | wa(RN) | RANA | Hidden, reversed |