Listener Crossword 4046: Solution Notes
Disagreement by Stan
Puzzle explanation
Extra letters in the wordplay spelt “smallest number sum of two cubes in two ways”. Four cells, numbered 1, 9, 10 and 12, had each to accommodate two letters, CU/BE. When these numbers are combined appropriately, the two expressions 1^3 + 12^3 and 9^3 + 10^3 may be recognised as those satisfying the property of 1729 described in the quotation from a conversation between the mathematicians G. H. Hardy and Srinivasa Ramanujan. Following a taxi journey, Hardy mentioned that the number of his cab, 1729, was “dull”. Ramanujan immediately refuted this, claiming the “interesting property”. Answers to 17 and 29 were “hackney” and “cab(inet)”. Clashes on the leading diagonal were resolved and the blocked-off cells filled in to show Ramanujan in the grid. Overwritten words: 5 vernier 9 begone 11 buhl 13 Astarte 17 hackney 21 shadow 32 ahoys.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Extra Letter |
Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | S | CUTLERY | SCUT + R(at) in LEY |
| 6 | M | ALAP | A + LAMP |
| 9 | A | BEGONE | BE + ONEGA * |
| 10 | L | CUE BALL | CELL LAB * about (corp)U(scle); ref billiards & snooker |
| 11 | L | BUHL | HUB < in LL |
| 12 | E | BEARABLE | BEE + ABLE about RA |
| 14 | S | SAT | A in SST |
| 16 | T | ON HEAT | ON THE ATTACK – TACK |
| 18 | N | IDLER | IN + (D(efence) + R) about EL < |
| 20 | U | ELANETS | LEE’S AUNT * |
| 22 | M | FRANC | FR + MAN + C(arried); bread = currency, eg, in Switzerland |
| 24 | B | RUSHER | BR + USHER |
| 27 | E | ARE | AE + R(educe) + E(mbarrassment) |
| 29 | R | CABINET | (CRAB + NET) about I(reland) |
| 30 | S | GAIA | First letters |
| 31 | U | URETER | Composite anagram of PERMACULTURE using CLAMP |
| 32 | M | AHOYS | MAS about HOY |
| 33 | O | TYRE | (TO + YE) about R(elief) |
| 34 | F | DRAWEE | FEW DARE * |
| Down | |||
| 1 | T | CUBEBS | BET in CUBS |
| 2 | W | TRUANTRY | COUNTRY-AND-WESTERN * – ONCE END’S |
| 3 | O | LOATHE | (LOO + HET *) about A |
| 4 | C | REBEL | BE CLEAR * – A |
| 5 | U | VERNIER | (UNI after R(esearchers)) in VEER |
| 6 | B | À BAS | BABA + S(hiraz) |
| 7 | E | LABEL | BALL < – L + EEL |
| 8 | S | PLEURA | PLEASUR(e), A dropped (low) |
| 13 | I | ASTARTE | IE after (A + T(heology)) avout STAR |
| 15 | N | PELERINE | PEN + L(ead) + E(xcursions) + RINE |
| 17 | T | HACKNEY | HACK + NET + (pa)Y |
| 19 | W | OFFCUT | OWT about (FF + CU(r)) |
| 21 | O | SHADOW | HAS * + WOOD < |
| 23 | W | AMBER | (BEWARE *, with (lan)E replaced by M) * |
| 25 | A | KITE | KATIE * |
| 26 | Y | STAR | Hidden |
| 28 | S | EASE | SEA’S + (her)E |