Listener Crossword 4050: Solution Notes
Recipe by Parsnip
Puzzle explanation
The recipe is one of the possible answers to the nursery rhyme question: What are little boys and girls made of? Limax, trepang, dodman, nerite (slugs and snails) were anagrammed together to generate the names Don, Max, Martin, Reginald and Pete. Demerara, sucrose, anise, vanilla (sugar and spice) similarly made Clare, Dora, Melissa, Sine, Una and Vera. The list of ingredients was completed with “puppy dog tails” and “all things nice” (1 and 44 across).
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredients | ||
| ANISE | I in MANSE – M (roof-shape) | |
| DEMERARA | R after DEME + A + RA | |
| DODMAN | DO + D(enmark) + (Holy Ro)MAN( Empire) | |
| LIMAX | (I’M + A) in LX | |
| NERITE | NE + RITE | |
| SUCROSE | SUC(k) + ROSE | |
| TREPANG | TRE(e) + PAN(g) | |
| VANILLA | A(sto)N in VILLA | |
| Across | ||
| 11 | ENAMELS | MEALS * after EN |
| 12 | VENAE | VENUS – US + AE |
| 13 | SYCAMINE | ’S + Y + CAM + IN + E |
| 14 | ECOD | E-COD; facetious reference to the internet (e = electronic) |
| 16 | SEARCHER | ARCH in SEER; roach = to arch |
| 17 | CALAMARI | (CAR (Rolls Royce) + I) about (L + A + MA(ckerel)) |
| 22 | DEATHS | Alternate letters |
| 28 | EDGIER | E + D + G + I(n) + E(nchilada) + R(ecognisable) |
| 31 | OTARY | ROAST YAMS * – MASS * |
| 34 | EROTICAL | ROTI in (E + CAL) |
| 35 | ISOTONIC | I + SOT + ON + I + C |
| 39 | NILS | SLIN(k) < (two meanings, lean & meat) |
| 42 | SAOLA | (O’ + SALA(d)) * |
| 43 | INDULIN | IN + DUL(l) + (m)IN(t) |
| Down | ||
| 2 | UNSCALED | (LUCE + AND + S(almon)) * |
| 3 | PAYOLAS | (PAL(e) + SOY + A) * |
| 4 | YEALMED | A MEDLEY * |
| 5 | OSIERY | O’ + S + (p)IE(s) + R(apidl)Y |
| 6 | GENA | (GAUR – UR (indication of hesitation)) about EN |
| 7 | AESC | Hidden reversed |
| 8 | IN THAT | (I + HAT) about (N + (restauran)T) |
| 9 | LAZE | (b)LAZE(s) |
| 10 | SEERESS | SEER about RES(t) |
| 15 | DARWIN | DAN(iel) about (W + I after R) |
| 18 | AZURE | (n)U(n) as centre of AZORE; Corvo is one of the Azores |
| 19 | IDAHO | (Alternate letters of THE COLD HAM + I’) * |
| 23 | HERALDIC | (DAHL + RICE) *; OR is an heraldic tincture |
| 26 | ROTUNDS | ROUNDS about T |
| 27 | BACILLI | Composite anagram of BIOLOGICAL using GOO |
| 29 | GOOGOL | GOO + LOG < (stock) |
| 30 | ORIGIN | O(liver) + RIG + IN; ref Jamie Oliver’s TV series |
| 36 | SEAL | E in SAL |
| 37 | TELT | Final letters |
| 38 | NEVI | N + (LIVER < – (L + R)); Jonathan = people of US, reflecting spelling |