Listener Crossword 4170: Solution Notes
Aristocat by Mango
Puzzle explanation
In 36 clues, a vowel had to drop out or a consonant move alternately left or right (ie, “swinging”). These letters gave the Irving Mills lyric “It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing”, for which Duke Ellington wrote the music. The two answers clued without definition gave the first five words of the Ellington quotation “Playing ‘Bop’ is like Scrabble with all the vowels missing”, entered as PLYNGBPS and LKSCRBBL. The answers to the remaining seven clues also had all their vowels dropped before entry; the entries revealed a partial vowel-free game of Scrabble®, incorporating every consonant (including the consonantal Y) at least once.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | (Re)moved letter | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | (I) | PLAYING BOP IS | PLAY + IN G (key with one sharp) + BO + SIP < |
| 7 | JAPAN WAX | PAN in JAW + AX | |
| 12 | T-angled, (T)his | ARAME | AE around RAM |
| 13 | (D)ate, ran-D | THEATRE | (ATE * + R) in THE |
| 14 | Lent(O) | ETERNAL | (HEAR LENT − (Bac)H) * |
| 15 | N-ame(N) | ENGRAM | (servic)E + N + GRAM |
| 16 | (T)oiled, uni-T | CENTIGRAM | (CREATING + M) * |
| 19 | TRANQUILLIZE | (QU + ILL) in TRAIN * + Z(air)E | |
| 21 | for-M, (M)other | UNLIKE | U + KILN < + E |
| 22 | bar(E) | AGNES | S(ocialites) after (m)AGNE(t); ref. 20 down |
| 27 | o(A)f | EATHE | (wro)TE A THE(sis) |
| 30 | lear(N)s, Viole-N-t | SCLERA | (C + LEARS) * |
| 32 | DISCOVERTURE | DIS + C(onsider) + OVERTURE | |
| 36 | (A)venue’s | RUNE-STAVE | (ART(y) + VENUE’S) * |
| 37 | T-or, (T)ill | BENIGN | BEN + GIN * |
| 38 | (H)ere, writ-H-ing | AINTREE | ANTI with I moved forward + ERE * |
| 39 | a(I)m | LAMAIST | (I AM) < in LAST |
| 40 | So-N, dam(N) | SWEIR | S + WEIR |
| 41 | YARDANG | YARD-LANG − L | |
| 42 | (G)in, G-rave | LIKE SCRABBLE | ((S + RABBLE) around C) after LIKE |
| Down | |||
| 1 | ru(I)ns | PRECLUDE | R in PE + CL + DUE * |
| 2 | Le-F-t, (F)light | LATEEN | L + AT + EE + N |
| 3 | Ol(I)d | YRENT | (sk)YR ENT(rée) |
| 4 | (T)art, T-hat | NARTJIE | ART in NJ + IE |
| 5 | Sp(A)y | BEAGLE | 2 meanings |
| 6 | T(I)ree’s | SHEARS | SHEA + R + S |
| 8 | Paw-N, Georgia(N) | PAGE | P + A + GE |
| 9 | INTERFLUENT | (RUIN LEFT TEN) * | |
| 10 | pin(T), ma-T | WRAXLE | (R + AXLE) after W |
| 11 | G-as, (G)old | XEMA | XE + MA |
| 17 | RATTLEBRAIN | RAT + BELT < + RAIN | |
| 18 | Stink(O) | SKEER | (REEK + S) < |
| 20 | Gran(T), chas-T-e | NANCY | NAN + C(harle)Y; ref 22 across |
| 23 | T-angling, ne(T) | SNAKE EEL | (E + LAKES + NE) * |
| 25 | KITCHEN-MAID | ITCH in KEN + MAD around I | |
| 26 | (H)eat, s-H-immer | GLITTER | (GET * + R) around LIT |
| 28 | (A)like | ASMEAR | AS + ’M + EA + R(ouge) |
| 29 | S-T-eamer’s, ou(T) | STUNS’L | SS around (go)T (o)U (batsma)N + L |
| 30 | (S)parking, S-melting | SPEISS | P in SEIS(m) + S |
| 31 | W-rap, (W)ay | REVERB | RB around EVER |
| 33 | Franc(I)s | CARIB | FABRIC * − F |
| 34 | line(N), mo-N-th | ABLY | ((m)Y + L) < after AB |
| 35 | G-ratin(G) | TIAN | (ACTION − C − O) * |