Listener Crossword 4294: Solution Notes
Trio by Bark by Hedge-sparrow
Puzzle explanation
Three Men in a Boat describes a Thames journey by Jerome, Harris, George and the dog Montmorency, who all appear in the completed grid. Letters from extra words spelt “Extra word pairs at clashes clue Thames towns; use first and last letters”. For each clash, the two clues’ extra words indicated a town passed through, for which only the first and last letters were to be entered. From east to west, the towns are: Kingston, Weybridge, Windsor, Maidenhead, Marlow, Henley, Wargrave, Pangbourne, Goring, Wallingford, Dorchester, Oxford. The rest of the river’s path consists of all occurrences of R (for river) in the grid.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Extra word(s) | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | (E)li(X)ir | FOPPISH | FISH around POP * |
| 6 | (T)er(R)ine | DACE | D(inner) + ACE |
| 9 | (A)le(W)ife | HUMS | HUMANS − AN |
| 12 | (O)pe(R)a | MILIEU | (co)M(ic) + I’ + LIEU |
| 13 | (D)is(P)osable | BALES | B + ALES |
| 15 | steer (ox) | URAO | U(sing) + OAR < |
| 17 | (A)ll(I)gator’s | GNASH | (H + SANG) < |
| 19 | (R)os(S)er’s | MALL | 2 meanings |
| 20 | (A)rc(T)ic | URN | TURN − T |
| 21 | (C)ol(L)eges | YEA-SAY | (PA)YE + A + S + A + Y |
| 22 | (A)rm(S) | SEPTA | SEPT + A |
| 23 | dung-beetle (dor) | ROOST | S in ROOT |
| 25 | (H)ar(E)’s | DETAIN | TAI in DEN |
| 26 | (S)ta(C)k | ZINC | Z + IN + C |
| 27 | bricks (walling) | ENJAMB | (JAM + B) after EN |
| 29 | damage (mar) | RARING | RA + RING |
| 30 | work (go) | SCYE | SCYTHE − TH |
| 31 | chicken (hen) | NUTRIA | NUT + AIR < |
| 34 | girl (maiden) | HOSEN | CHOSEN − C |
| 36 | (L)oc(U)m’s | ARRIS | ARRIS(h) |
| 38 | feud (war) turns (winds) | FILLED | FILLE + D |
| 40 | pieces (kings) | TOP | OPT * |
| 41 | (E)ar(T)hwork | INTO | PINTO − P |
| 42 | pain (pang) | PROSE | P + ROSE |
| 43 | measure (wey) | SERR | SER + R |
| 44 | (H)er(A)ld | EMBOW | EMBOWER − ER |
| 45 | (M)on(E)y | EBBING | EG around B-BIN |
| 46 | (S)po(T)s | GLUE | G(ir)L(’s n)U(rs)E(ry) |
| 47 | (O)ld-(W)orld | ILLS | (k)ILLS |
| 48 | (N)oi(S)ette | TIL SEED | (SPONGE − PONG) in TILED |
| Down | |||
| 1 | car-maker (Ford) | FLOURISHING | 2 meanings |
| 2 | Drift (ford) round (ring) | PIANOFORTE | (A FINE + O + PORT) * |
| 3 | (U)ni(S)ex | PLOYS | POLYS with L moved up |
| 4 | (E)co(F)reak’s | SEPAD | APES < + D(eath) |
| 5 | (I)ng(R)id | HUGS | H + UGS |
| 6 | (S)of(T) | DENATURISES | (SAUTERNES I’D) * |
| 7 | (A)gi(N)g | ABAYA | A + BAY + A |
| 8 | Moo (low) | CASSIS | C(ow) + ASSIS(t) |
| 9 | (D)ea(L)er’s | HEMP | HEM + P |
| 10 | (A)id(S) | MÉLANGE | MANGE around EL |
| 11 | weight (ton) | SELF-CENTRED | (END REFLECTS) * |
| 14 | aqueduct (bridge) | SATIN STONE | SET IN STONE with A for E |
| 16 | stream (bourne) | TETANIC | TIC(k) around (E + TAN) |
| 18 | brain (head) | HENRIES | (EN HIRES) * |
| 24 | city (Chester) | DECANAL | DE + CANAL |
| 28 | (T)it(L)e | MUSROL | (Lo)MU’S ROL(e) |
| 32 | meadow (ley) pit (grave) | SCOWL | SCOW + L |
| 33 | (E)di(T)or’s | ALIBI | LIB in AI |
| 35 | gold (or) | OASIS | O’ + AS IS |
| 37 | (T)ow(E)r | ROME | MORE * |
| 39 | (R)us(S)ian | LEET | FLEET − F |