Listener Crossword 4093: Solution Notes
Times Group by Colleague
Puzzle explanation
The initial groups are the three Rs: reading (deraign), writing and arithmetic; and the five Ks: kaccha, kangha, kara (arak), kesh and kirpan (parkin). (These are shown in italics in the table below.) Their product suggests Fifteen Os, a set of meditations by St Bridget, and determines the total count of 15 Os in the grid. The thematic data can be found in The Chambers Dictionary, at the entries for R, K and O.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Across | ||
| 1 | ARITHMETIC | A + HERMIT * + TIC |
| 8 | ARAK KARA | (k)ARAK(a) |
| 11 | DONATARY | ON in DATARY |
| 12 | SCAPA | APACS < |
| 14 | WRITING | WRITHING − H |
| 16 | PARKIN KIRPAN | ARK in PIN(e) |
| 17 | DADOING | DA + DOING |
| 18 | REIS | GREENIES − GENE (regularly) |
| 19 | ATTACH | ATT + A + C + H(ezbolla’s) |
| 20 | DRAPPIE | I in DAPPER, R moved inside |
| 22 | THECLA | Hidden |
| 24 | BODLEIAN | AI < in BLONDE *; reference library in Oxford |
| 28 | PEERIE | PIER * about (Octob)E(r) + (hurrican)E |
| 30 | SOLDADO | (Napoleon) SOLO about DAD; reference The Man from Uncle |
| 32 | DAMNED | DEMAND * |
| 33 | FLIT | Hidden reversed |
| 34 | NEONATE | ETA < after NEON |
| 36 | KACCHA | (AH + C + CAK(e)) < |
| 37 | DERAIGN READING | I in DANGER * |
| 38 | ANCHO | Hidden |
| 39 | TESTIEST | SET * in TIE + ST |
| 40 | SHOO | Homophone (SHOE); reference Oxford as type of shoe |
| 41 | REARHORSES | ARE * + RSE in RHOS |
| Down | ||
| 1 | ADWARDS | D in WARS after AD |
| 2 | INITIATE | ATE after (IN IT + I(nauguration)) |
| 3 | TATTS | TATS about T |
| 4 | MANX | MAN + X; reference Isle of Man |
| 5 | ERGATE | Answer in HOST * is OTHERGATES |
| 6 | TYNDALE | TALE about YND; early Bible translator |
| 7 | IMPACT | I + MP + A + CT |
| 8 | ACROGEN | ORA < about C(alyx) + GEN |
| 9 | RAKIA | ARAK * [8ac] about I |
| 10 | KANGHA | KANGA about H(ead) |
| 13 | PINGLED | P + INGLE + ’D; using Scott’s ingle |
| 15 | IGAPÓ | GAP in I(glo)O |
| 21 | ROEDEAN | ROLE − L + DEAN; reference well-known girls’ school |
| 23 | CHALLIES | CHA(p) + LISLE * |
| 24 | BRONCHO | (trut)H out of (BR + HONCHO) |
| 25 | LOMENTA | L + O + MEN + TA |
| 26 | ALDER | YEN < out of ALDERNEY |
| 27 | POTENTS | TENT in POS |
| 28 | PUNKAS | AS after PUNK |
| 29 | EATAGE | (EG + AT + A + (bing)E) <; Morgan is type of horse |
| 30 | SNIDER | SIDER about N(ation) |
| 31 | ZOCCO | CC in ZOO |
| 33 | FLAIR | FRAIL, L and R swapped |
| 35 | KESH | K + NESH − N; reference shock = hair |