Listener Crossword 4226: Solution Notes
Polar by Kea
Puzzle explanation
Five symmetrically placed adjectival answers were replaced by their polar opposites, which all rhyme: 13ac TIGHT, 20ac BRIGHT, 30ac LIGHT, 1dn WHITE, 27dn RIGHT. Clues for the unaffected entries had one word replaced by its opposite.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Opposite | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | BADER | (A in (RED + B)) < | |
| 5 | activity/inactivity | NON-TERM | NORM around TEN * |
| 11 | arrival/departure | POGOING | PO + GOING |
| 12 | APODS | AP + ODS | |
| 13 | LOOSE | LOO + S(cal)E | |
| 14 | CUBA | CUB + (pir)A(tes) | |
| 15 | bad/good | GUILDER | G + BUILDER − B |
| 16 | KYRIE | (Val)KYRIE | |
| 17 | alive/dead | STEDDE | (roa)STED DE(ad) |
| 20 | STUPID | (DI + PUTS) < | |
| 23 | first/last | ANELED | LEADEN * |
| 26 | ASKEW | AS + KEW | |
| 28 | late/early | TANAGER | TEENAGER with A for EE |
| 29 | TORR | 2 meanings | |
| 30 | HEAVY | HE + AY around V(iolence) | |
| 32 | CHINO | CHIN + O’ | |
| 33 | off/on | WOE UNTO | (WON OUT) * around E |
| 34 | forward/backward | RED DEER | D in REEDER < |
| 35 | SUING | SING around U | |
| Down | |||
| 1 | BLACK | B + LACK | |
| 2 | unsure/sure | APPUYS | (SPA around YUP) < |
| 3 | everything/nothing | DOOBRIE | (O + O) in BRIDE * |
| 4 | top/bottom | ROSIE | OSIER with last letter moved to start |
| 5 | NILGAU | NIL + GAU | |
| 6 | unnatural/natural | ONKUS | (SUK + NO) < |
| 7 | TOOLED | TOO LED | |
| 8 | EGO | EG + O | |
| 9 | RASED | DEAR < around S | |
| 10 | MEERED | MEED around RE | |
| 18 | after/before | DAKOITI | DA + KO + IT + I |
| 19 | BATHER | THE in BAR | |
| 20 | SLAVED | SLAD(e) around (V + E) | |
| 21 | PARTER | PARTER(re) | |
| 22 | female/male | VERNON | (RENO + NV) * |
| 24 | NAEVE | A in NEVE | |
| 25 | down/up | DEFOE | ((Duk)E OF ED(inburgh)) < |
| 26 | irregularly/regularly | ARCUS | A(i)R (S)C(o)U(t)S |
| 27 | WRONG | (GR + W) < around ON | |
| 31 | AID | (m)A(p) (om)I(ts) (An)D(es) | |