Listener Crossword 4129: Solution Notes
Letters Lament by Tangram
Puzzle explanation
The clue initials, latent letters and misprint corrections spelt out “Winter is come and gone but [grief returns] with the [revolving year] — Shelley”, in which the missing phrases are represented by the reversals of 29 down and 35 across respectively.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Misprint | Answer (latent letter/correction) | Explanation [misprint] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | (W)ALDGRAVINE | (V[E]RDANT FOLIAGE − OFT <) * | |
| 9 | l(I)ver | SHARK OIL | (H + ARK) in SOIL |
| 10 | NOMA | NO MA | |
| 12 | TOMATO | TOM + ATE with O for E | |
| 14 | HORNI(E)R | (RHINO + (hai)R) * | |
| 15 | EPIME(R) | PI in (EM + E[M]) | |
| 17 | TERR(I)COLE | (ERR + C) in TOLE | |
| 18 | SENSA | S + ENSA | |
| 20 | (C)rocked | LAMER | LA MER; ref. Charles Trenet song, recorded in English as “Beyond the Sea” by Bobby Darin |
| 22 | OR E’ER | O + REE + R | |
| 25 | ANI(M)E | NI[S] in AE | |
| 26 | T(E)RRINES | ST[I]R * around RINE | |
| 28 | ENTR(A)NT | (NT + RN) in ET | |
| 30 | EROSIO(N) | (O + I + SORE) < | |
| 32 | wee(D) | URTICA | (h)URT I CA(n’t) |
| 33 | (G)I(G)LET | I + LET | |
| 34 | OIL PAPER | OILER around (P + AP) | |
| 35 | TWELVEMO(N)TH | (LOVE TH[E]M + WET) * | |
| Down | |||
| 1 | ESTH | HEST with first letter lowered | |
| 2 | (B)og | LATRINE | TRI(m) in LANE |
| 3 | h(A)m | DRONE | R in DONE |
| 4 | (T)hundered | ROARED | (A + RE) in ROD |
| 5 | (W)AITERS | STRIAE * | |
| 6 | INDICAN | C in INDIAN | |
| 7 | NO(T)UM | NUM around O(rthocaine) | |
| 8 | HAMMERED | HAM + MERE + D | |
| 11 | FOS(T)ERING | S in FOREIGN * | |
| 13 | TELESTIC(H) | STIC(k) after TELE | |
| 16 | ESOTERIC | SECRETIO(n) * | |
| 19 | SERRATE | ARRESTE(d) * | |
| 21 | MISS(H)APE | MISS + A + P(i)E | |
| 23 | INT(E)RIM | IN TRIM | |
| 24 | LEETLE | (ELT + EEL) < | |
| 27 | LOCAL | (O’ + C + A’) in LL | |
| 29 | TEN(E) | 2 meanings of TEN[T] | |
| 31 | (Y)OURT | TOUR with first letter at the end | |