Listener Crossword 4290: Solution Notes
All Write for The Listener by MynoT
Puzzle explanation
Words were replaced by homophones in 16 clues and 16 answers were entered as homophones. The perimeter contains “Take care of the sounds and the sense will take care of itself”, a thematic reversal of Lewis Carroll’s “Take care of the sense, and the sounds will take care of themselves” (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland), which was itself a pun on the proverb “Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves”. The original versions are in the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, the latter both as a proverb and quoted from letters of William Lowndes.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Modified word | Answer (grid entry) | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | FLYTE (FLIGHT) | FLY + TE | |
| 6 | FLOATEL | FELL * around OAT | |
| 11 | ENSLAVED | LAVED after ENS | |
| 13 | fare (fair) | FAURÉ | FARE around (p)U(pil) |
| 14 | TREEN | TUREEN − U | |
| 16 | bows (beaus), bells (belles) | TENORS | OR in TENS; 2 meanings |
| 17 | SIGNORE | SIGN + O’ + RE | |
| 18 | leman (lemon) | DONAH | HONDA * |
| 20 | TEAR (TAHR) | RATE * | |
| 22 | right (rite) | CARRY-ONS | CA + R + RY + ON + S |
| 23 | Earnest (Ernest) | INTENSE | TENNIS * + E(vening) |
| 25 | pole (poll) | DISMAST | DISMA(l) + ST |
| 28 | Lie (Lye) | FIBRILLA | FIB + RILL + A |
| 32 | URN (EARN) | UR + N | |
| 35 | MOURN (MORNE) | U in MORN | |
| 36 | Knot (Not) | SNARLED | SNARL + ED |
| 37 | CHETAH | CH + HATE < | |
| 39 | bread (bred) | LITAI | LIT + AI |
| 41 | HAIRED (HARED) | HAILED with R for L | |
| 42 | LENGTHEN | LE + NG + THEN | |
| 43 | wrack (rack) | SEAWEED | (WE EASED) * |
| 44 | Fat (Phat) | GREASE | 2 meanings |
| Down | |||
| 1 | read (reed) | ALEXIA | ALEX + (A after I) |
| 2 | JEST (GEST) | JUST with E for U | |
| 3 | tea (tee) | CHARON | CHAR + ON |
| 4 | Bars (Barres) | TAVERNS | SERVANT * |
| 5 | TENREC | RECENT * | |
| 7 | LUTE (LOOT) | FLUTE − F | |
| 8 | AFFEER (AFFEAR) | FEE in AFR | |
| 9 | praise (prays) | HERRY | HERR + Y |
| 10 | LESSON (LESSEN) | LESS + ON | |
| 12 | NITE (KNIGHT) | NIT + E(at) | |
| 15 | HOAED | HOAXED − X | |
| 19 | TIME (THYME) | T(hat) I(s) M(ore) E(vident) | |
| 21 | REARM | EAR in RM | |
| 24 | ELLEN | (H)ELL EN(thrals) | |
| 26 | WINNING | TWINNING − T | |
| 27 | SALINE | AL in SINE | |
| 28 | INCHES | 2 meanings | |
| 29 | one (won) | TIRADE | I in TRADE |
| 30 | ISLES (AISLES) | ref. Isle of Man, Isle of Dogs | |
| 31 | LAGER (LAAGER) | GABRIELLE * − BILE * | |
| 33 | REMENS | NS after REME | |
| 34 | SHEIK (SHAKE) | ’S + HE + I’ + K | |
| 38 | WHOLE (HOLE) | HOW * + LEPER − PER | |
| 40 | SIGHT (SITE) | EIGHT with S for E | |