Listener Crossword 4299: Solution Notes
Godly Mix-up by Stick Insect
Puzzle explanation
Letter groups determined by clashes correspond to digits thus: GJS = 0, NOV = 1, DQZ = 2, AL = 3, FTY = 4, BMR = 5, CIK = 6, HX = 7, UW = 8, EP = 9. Extra letters from wordplay spelt “Digits key a letter from each clue for next step. Read zero as ten.” Using the sequence of digits from the grid as indexes into the clues, the letters at the given positions (or the 10th letter for any zeroes) spelt “In rows one and ten recode seventeen cells as letter from group”. The result is that the full grid contains the statement “Pi is 3 point 14159[...]20900 to 80 places”. As the digit in the 81st decimal place is an 8, the last three digits in row 9 are rounded up from 899 to 900. The title consists of two synonyms of “pi”.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Answer | Explanation [extra letter] |
|---|---|---|
| 1E | KISLEV | [D]EVILS * after K |
| 2SE | CRAW | (A[I]R in WC) < |
| 3W | SIKE | ((cre)EK [G]I S(traddled)) < |
| 4SE | ORFE | O + R[I]FE |
| 5S | CRUDE | (RED CU[T]) * |
| 6S | OATH | (A HO[S]T) * |
| 7S | TRIPOS | TRIP + [K]OS |
| 7SW | FLUATE | F[E]ATURE * with L for R |
| 7W | FOIN | FO[Y] + IN |
| 8E | TOME | [Â]ME after TO |
| 8S | FEIS | FE[L]IS |
| 9W | PROYN | ROY in P[E]N |
| 10E | DIRAM | DIR[T] + AM |
| 11E | UPHELD | [T]UP + HE + LD |
| 12S | LANX | L[E]AN + X |
| 13E | DITAL | T[R]AIL * after D |
| 13N | QUOP | QU + [F]LOP − L |
| 14W | LULL | LU[R] + L + L |
| 15NW | DADA | (A + D[O]) in DA |
| 16S | BIRRS | BS around ([M]IR + R) |
| 16SE | MEZAIL | Z[E]E < in MAIL |
| 17NW | WAXY | X in [A]WAY |
| 17W | WUDS | W + [C]UD + S |
| 18W | OXEN | ON around [H]EX < |
| 19SE | KUDU | DU[C]K * + U(nusual) |
| 20N | PULER | (PU[L]L + (Har)R(iet)) around E |
| 21W | APPLE | AP + P[U]LSE − S |
| 22S | MENE | (quarrelso)M[E] ENE(my) |
| 23NE | MEDAL | D[F] in MEAL |
| 23SE | BEDS | B[O]DIES * − I |
| 24E | SEXY | [R]EX in S(uz)Y |
| 24S | GLUG | G + LU[N]G |
| 25NE | PANDY | (Euro)P[E]AN DY(nasty) |
| 26S | YUGA | (A[X] + GUY) < |
| 26SE | FOGS | F + [T]OGS |
| 27S | TIGE | GET[S] * around I |
| 28NW | TOPAZ | TOP + AZ[T] |
| 28S | TYGS | T(ob)Y (en)G(in)[E](er)S |
| 29W | GAZER | ZAG < + [P]ER |
| 30E | HUNKY | H + [R]UN + KY |
| 31NE | UPON | U(S) + OP[E]N * |
| 31NW | WHEW | (Io)W[A] HE W(ept) |
| 32NW | TYRO | TYR + [D]O |
| 33E | QUID | QUI[Z] + D |
| 34NW | CADE | C(h)[E](z) A(n)D(r)E(w) |
| 35E | JESS | JE[R] + SS |
| 35NE | GOYS | G[O]OSY * |
| 36NE | FIDGET | (FIG + D[A]TE) * |
| 37N | VIEW | VI[S]E + W |
| 38E | JELLIES | ([T]ELL + IE) after J + S |
| 38W | SWOT | (TO S[E]W) * |
| 39W | KALE | K + [N]EAL * |