Listener Crossword 4196: Solution Notes
Here and There by Hedge-sparrow
Puzzle explanation
Half of the clue answers have one letter omitted on entry in the grid, with the letter being inserted into one of the remaining answers to make its grid entry. Extra/omitted letters in Down clues yield the phrase “all entries are real terms”, indicating that all amendments produce real words or names. The clue at 28ac defines two possible answers, MANIA (mental disorder) and MARIA (Hebrew woman), from which the I must be omitted so that the omitted letters match the inserted letters. Cross-checking the letters used for entry amendments with the letter mixture “rings NICE doctors for a pill” yields N as the extra letter, so the correct entry is MANA rather than MARA.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Extra/omitted letter | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | COMPOSED | COED around MOPS * | |
| 8 | REND | BRENDA − B − A | |
| 11 | LOVER | REVOL(t) < | |
| 12 | ORCAS | ACROSS * − S(ea) | |
| 14 | LEGO | LEG + O | |
| 15 | DRAGONS | DRAGS around (O + ’N’) | |
| 16 | MORS | (Swaffha)M OR S(andringham) | |
| 17 | SEA LANES | ALAN in SEES | |
| 18 | ELAPSE | E + LAPS + (manufactur)E | |
| 19 | SENDS | (MENDS − M) after S | |
| 21 | ART | (dep)ART(ment) | |
| 22 | INFAME | IN + FAME | |
| 25 | CY PRES | C + YPRES | |
| 27 | PIT | 3 meanings | |
| 28 | MANIA/MARIA | [no wordplay] | |
| 31 | MEGA | GAME * | |
| 32 | OVERTURE | OVERT + UPRISING − PRISING + ER < | |
| 33 | ANTI | T(ree) in ANI | |
| 34 | OROLOGIST | HOROLOGIST − (watc)H | |
| 36 | PIED | PIEDMONT − (M + O’ + NT) | |
| 37 | LUNGE | N in LUGE | |
| 38 | INTRO | INTROIT − IT | |
| 39 | DIVI | DIVI(divi) | |
| 40 | DELATION | D + ELATION | |
| Down | |||
| 1 | M(A)c | COMMÈRE | CORE around MME |
| 2 | L-earner | OVERPLAY | OVER + PAY around L |
| 3 | L-awful | PROSPERO | (REP’S + O + PRO) * |
| 4 | d-E-ad | COLDEST | (D + EST) after COL |
| 5 | mo-N-th | ORAL | MAYORAL − MAY |
| 6 | (T)error | EALE | E + ALE |
| 7 | hea(R)d | ODSO | OD + S(herlock) + (M)O(riarty) |
| 8 | ru(I)n | RHONA | R + H(airdo) + ON + A |
| 9 | spin(E)s | TERNES | homophone of TURNS |
| 10 | (S)age | DISCS | DIS + (CERES − ERE) |
| 13 | m-A-ps | CAPOS | CAP + OS |
| 20 | i(R)on | ELATION | E + LAT + ION |
| 22 | rod-E | SATIN | SAT + IN |
| 23 | t-R-ap | SLIME PIT | LIME in (S + PIT) |
| 24 | gam(E) | MAGNET | GAM < + NET |
| 26 | past(A) | PAVLOVA | PA + V(ea)L + OVA |
| 27 | L-arne | PORTA | A after PORT |
| 28 | (T)old | MOOL | MO + O + L |
| 29 | not-E | AGUE | TEAGUE − TE |
| 30 | f-R-ont | OUSE | (s)OUSE |
| 32 | cha(M)p | COD | C + DO < |
| 35 | bu-S-t | FOLD | (penci)L in (D + OF) < |