Listener Crossword 4222: Solution Notes
27 by Mango
Puzzle explanation
The grid represented a snooker table with the coloured balls on their spots. Extra letters from clues spelt “Pot the six colours in sequence”, so Y(ellow), G(reen), B(rown), B(lue), P(ink) and B(lack) were to be cleared, in a break scoring 27. The seven Ws in the grid gave the successive positions of the white ball (ie, where the WHITE LIES, from the grid entry that would be 27dn in normal grid numbering) during the clearance. There were no Rs in the grid (all the reds having been potted) and no extra “colours”, but every other letter of the alphabet appeared at least once. The grid before clearance is shown here, with each ball’s path marked in the appropriate colour.
Entries were marked correct if they had (a) the colour letters either all removed or all retained, and (b) either all Ws retained or the first six or middle five Ws removed, and (c) the two circles in the correct cells.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| Extra letter | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Across | ||
| AMAZE | AMAZON + E − ON | |
| EXALT | (EX- + LT) around A | |
| MELANOMA | (A MOLE MAN) * | |
| MU-MESON | (MUM + SON) around E(roticism) | |
| STAYS | STAR’S with Y for R | |
| BEGONE | BEEN * around GO | |
| ENLIST | N after E + LIST | |
| SHIM | SH + I’M | |
| TWO-TONE | DOWN-TO-EARTH * − HARD * | |
| ENAMEL | E(ntice) + LEMAN < | |
| NIDE | (D in EIN) < | |
| TEWHIT | (C + TEWHIT + R) * = TWITCHER | |
| FULL-BLOWN | FLOWN around BULL * | |
| SEANAD | SEAN + AD | |
| LAKH | K in LAH | |
| HAMULI | MILHAUD * − D | |
| UNSWEPT | (WET SPUN) * | |
| AT IT | A + TIT | |
| AEDILE | (ELIDE + A) < | |
| THE MOB | (BOTH MADE) * − DA | |
| VITAL | T in VIAL | |
| TEXT-MAN | (EXTANT + M(anuscript)) * | |
| MATELOTE | (TETE around LO) after MA | |
| ETTIN | ET + TIN | |
| JANUS | J + ANUS | |
| Down | ||
| s(P)ent | AMUSEMENT | (MUM SENT + A(g)E(s)) * |
| b(O)at | MEAT | (tireso)ME AT(tendants) |
| a(T) | ALFALFA | ALF + ALF + A |
| (T)axes | ZANYISM | (M after NAZIS *) around Y |
| t(H)rust | DOUBT | DO + BUT * |
| them(E) | EMMEW | ’EM + MEW |
| a(S) | ALSO | A + LSO |
| (I) | LEONINE | ONE * in LINE |
| Te(X)t | TENEMENT | TET around (NE MEN) |
| (C)hill | STELLATE | SLATE around TEL |
| Quit(O) | STOW | S + TOW |
| cu(L)t | KNIFE | FINK < + E(soteric) |
| f(O)ur | OCELLATE | OCEL(ot) + LATE(nt) |
| sl(U)ice | SHWA | WASH with letters arranged cyclically |
| Canto(R)’s | DUAN | U in DAN |
| (S)old | INKLE | KLEIN * |
| Nu(I)ts | WHITE LIES | (WITH ELSIE) *; no definition |
| Ya(N)k | SQUATTLE | SQ + TATTLE with U(neasy) for the first T |
| (S)tare | NEWT | NEW + T |
| (E)quality | ON THE QT | (NOT HET) * around Q |
| s(Q)uid | MODIOLA | (SUID < in MOOLA) − US |
| (U)SA | UNITION | UNIO around IT + N |
| Ma(E) | WOMAN | (ON MA + W) * |
| ra(N)ting | ABATE | AB + A + T(he) + E |
| (C)leave | EXIT | EX + I + (mean)T |
| (E)go | AITU | KUWAIT * − K − W |