Listener Crossword 4061: Solution Notes
50-50 by Phi
Puzzle explanation
The grid took the form of two letter Ls, illustrating 50-50. The unclued answers, also entered to form Ls, were Suzanne Vega, Renée Fleming and Youssou N’Dour, each 50 this year (like Phi) but also each a SINGER, given by the first letters of clues to six-letter words. The pairings in the 50-50 clues were as shown in the table below. Shading of the unused cells was optional.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| Entry/ Wordplay answer |
Explanation |
|---|---|
| Across | |
| PAYS | Two definitions |
| ENSEW / CEORL | CE + OR + L(ord) |
| OBOTE | O + BOTE |
| RUSS / ETAS | Hidden |
| ANZAC / RILLE | L in (RIFLE – F) |
| TASTE | ’T + AS + T + E(nables) |
| STABLES / SEA STAR | STALES about B |
| SPLIT END | LIT in SPEND |
| ADAR / AGHA | A(u)G(ust) + H.A. |
| ENSEW / CEORL | ESNE < + W |
| (Suzan)NE VEGA | Unclued |
| ADEEL / OVULE | AD + EEL |
| SENTIENT / RESELLER | Hidden reversed |
| SEÑOR / PRATT | RAT in PT |
| ESCHALOT / AEROSOLS | ALSO * about SORE < |
| ATOKES | A + TOKENS – (functio)N |
| AEROSOLS / ESCHALOT | THE COALS * |
| NINE-EYES / BRUSH-OFF | (NEE(d) + YES) about IN |
| RENÉE FLEMING | Unclued |
| EMBEDS | ’EM + BEDS (Bedfordshire) |
| LAMEDH | LAH (6th note in sol-fa) about MED |
| SASSIER / OCTAVIA | OCTAV(e) + I + A |
| DE FALLA | DEF + ALLA; see, eg, “alla Franca” |
| Down | |
| PORTICO | (I + CO) after PORT |
| ABRADE | (AUBADE – (yo)U) about R |
| YOUSSOU N’DOUR | Unclued |
| RESELLER / SENTIENT | SENT + IT about EN(d) |
| LOOK-SEES / ELASTASE | LOOKS + (f)EES |
| NINE-EYES / BRUSH-OFF | BOFF about RUSH |
| SUZANN(e Vega) | Unclued |
| ETAS / RUSS | (t)RUSS |
| OCTAVIA / SASSIER | ’S + SA < + RISE * |
| OVULE / ADEEL | O + V + (r)ULE; definition refers to name’s meaning |
| PRATT / SEÑOR | ONE’S + R |
| DETHRONE | THE * in DRONE |
| LOOK-SEES / ELASTASE | LAST in EASE |
| STABLES / SEA STAR | AS in SET + RA < |
| STRUMA | (STUM + A(trophy)) about (docto)R |
| MEHNDI | (MEND + I) about H |
| AFEAR | E in (s)AFAR(i) |
| EFFED | E + FED after F |
| ANZAC / RILLE | A + CAN. < about Z |
| SUMMA | Hidden |
| OPIE | OP + IE; reference Peter Opie, co-author of The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes |
| LENDL | LEND + L; reference Ivan Lendl |
| ADAR / AGHA | DAR after A |