Listener Crossword 4309: Solution Notes
Shades of Green by Gos
Puzzle explanation
The theme was Carol Reed’s award-winning British film The Third Man, which premiered in London on 2 September 1949. The initial grid contained the two main stars, Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles, to be changed to their respective characters Holly Martins (hunter) and the titular Third Man (hunted), who turned out to be Harry Lime. The title refers to holly and lime as shades of green and also hints at the screenplay writer, Graham Greene.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Across | ||
| 8 | AMATEUR | A + ATE in RUM < |
| 10 | SOLAR | SO + LA(y) + R |
| 11 | CAIMAN | (AIM + AN) after C |
| 12 | LUNGIS | (far-f)LUNG IS(lands) |
| 13 | ASCARIS | AS + CAR IS |
| 14 | ELO | (ch)E(ap) L(ab)O(ur) |
| 15 | SADE | D in SAE |
| 18 | COCCI | COC(o) + CI |
| 20 | SPECIES | SPECIE + S |
| 22 | CHAW | (mo)CHA W(eed) |
| 23 | ALIEN | A + LIEN |
| 24 | SPOOF | S(ome) P(arody) O(r) O(ther) F(arce) |
| 25 | ANTA | (adv)ANTA(ge) |
| 26 | PIERCEL | CEL after PIER |
| 28 | FATWA | FA + TWA |
| 31 | TOOL | LOOT < |
| 33 | ECU | E + CU |
| 35 | ALUMINE | LU in (A + MINE) |
| 37 | BESEEM | BE + SEE + M |
| 38 | CLOVES | L in COVES |
| 39 | ORDER | BORDER − B |
| 40 | NEURONE | NONE around EUR |
| 41 | EFTEST | E + FT + EST |
| 42 | AMENDS | AMENS around D(rafts’) |
| Down | ||
| 1 | OMASA | (AS + A + MO) < |
| 2 | SAIC | SIC around A |
| 3 | PEARLIES | ESPALIER * |
| 4 | CRISES | C + RISES |
| 5 | TSUBO | (distric)T SUBO(ffice) |
| 6 | TONIC | NOTIC(e) * |
| 7 | NAIL | 3 meanings |
| 9 | GLUCOSIC | GLU(m) + CO + SIC(k) |
| 11 | CASSIA | CAS(a) + IS < + A |
| 16 | DELTA | 2 meanings |
| 17 | GENDARME | DANGER * + ME |
| 19 | CHOCO | CHOCO(latey) |
| 21 | SPECULUM | (U + LUM) after SPEC |
| 26 | PLAINT | PLIANT with central letters swapped |
| 27 | KEBOB | K(nif)E + BOB |
| 29 | TWEET | WEE in TT |
| 30 | WHERE | W + HERE |
| 32 | ON END | DONEN with first letter moved down |
| 34 | CERE | SINCERE − SIN |
| 36 | IVON | (NOV I) < |