Listener Crossword 4097: Solution Notes
Half-Thyme by Dipper
Puzzle explanation
Modified across entries, with the herbs and the locations of the second halves among the down clues, are shown in the table below. The thematic phrase generated by resolving the clashes is the herb PATERSON’S CURSE.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Herbal Data |
Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | origan: 6 | HIST(ORI)OGRAPHER | HARRIED PHRASEOLOGIST * − DEALS * |
| 9 | AISLE | AI [A1] + S(ingle) + L(ane) + E(xit) | |
| 11 | cive: 11 | SO(CI)ETY | PIETY, P changed to SOC |
| 13 | betony: 35 | RAB(BET)S | ABBÉ in (p)R(o)T(e)S(t) |
| 14 | BRAZENS | ENS after (R in BAZ [name Barry]) | |
| 15 | borage: 27 | AIR(BOR)NE | AIR + BORE about N(ight) |
| 16 | ATAP | A + TAP | |
| 18 | dill: 33 | STERA(DI)AN | STEAN about (RADIX − X) |
| 20 | sage: 12 | (SA)LIVA | ((D)ALI VAS(e)) * |
| 21 | LUSATIAN | A NATURALIST * − RAT * | |
| 23 | cicely: 4 | FAS(CIC)ULATE | ASCI in (F + CU + LATE) |
| 26 | URSA | R(ecorded) in USA | |
| 29 | mint: 7 | (MI)LITARIA | MILITIA about RA < |
| 31 | CHIN | CHIN(a) | |
| 32 | HEDER | Hidden | |
| 34 | fennel: 22 | OF(FEN)DRESS | (OFTEN, T to F) + DRESS |
| 36 | sorrel: 17 | (SOR)BITE | SORE about BIT |
| 37 | SHANS | HAN in SS; counterfeit money | |
| 38 | hyssop: 30 | P(HYS)ETER | PETER about SHY * |
| 39 | purpie: 24 | (PUR)POSELESSNESS | (POSE + LESS + NESS) after (PURE − E) |
| Down | |||
| 1 | HERBAL | (LAH about BRE(w)) < | |
| 2 | SABA | ARABS * − R | |
| 3 | OSTEAL | (TOES + (u)L(n)A) * | |
| 4 | (r)ely | REPS | R + EPS |
| 5 | PORISTIC | (CO + SPIRIT) * | |
| 6 | gan(net) | ETEN | NET < after E(scarpment) |
| 7 | (Ke)nt | RYKES | KE in (RY + S) |
| 8 | MARTIAL | PARTIAL, P to M | |
| 10 | LINGUA | (m)AULING * | |
| 11 | (ca)ve | SCAPA | CA in SPA |
| 12 | (ur)ge | EURO | E O about UR |
| 17 | rel(ease) | SAUTERNE | (TURN + EASE) * |
| 19 | BATISTE | BASTE about T(aglion)I | |
| 22 | (flan)nel(s) | STIFLE | (TIE FLANS − AN. [before]) * |
| 24 | pie | LARDS | LARDONS − ON |
| 25 | CADETS | CATS about D(esolat)E | |
| 27 | (sew)age | ENSEWS | SEW in (E + N + S) |
| 28 | THESP | T(rump) + H(earts) + ESP | |
| 30 | (Ae)sop | IDEA | AE < after ID |
| 33 | (Purce)ll | ECHO | Hidden |
| 34 | OLPE | (ga)OL + PE(n) | |
| 35 | (Ir)ony | EIRE | IR in (E(uropeanise) + E) |