Listener Crossword 4363: Solution Notes
Demolition by Schadenfreude
Puzzle explanation
The letters omitted from wordplay gave “Buridan’s ass”, a sophism about an ass dying of starvation through inability to choose between two equidistant and equally desirable sources of food. The grid has DONKEY in the diagonal between two equidistant instances of CARROT; moving the DONKEY to replace the top CARROT makes real words.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Answer (omitted letter) | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Across | ||
| 1 | KAGO | AGO after (wee)K |
| 5 | TALLIER | ALL in TIER |
| 11 | ESTRO | EST + OR < |
| 12 | (B)LUE-EYE | U in LEE + YE |
| 13 | SHE(R)DS | SHEDS |
| 14 | NA(I)F | F after N/A |
| 16 | GAEA | GAE + A |
| 18 | RAISES | BRAISE − B + S |
| 19 | OS(A)GE | GOES * |
| 21 | CAMANS | (MANIACS − I) * |
| 23 | ERIC | CIRÉ < |
| 25 | A(S)KS | SKA < |
| 26 | SKATED | SKATE + (pon)D |
| 28 | PLEBE | BE after (L in PE) |
| 31 | CACAOS | (NOTE + CACAOS) * = OCEAN COAST |
| 34 | PRAD | R in PAD |
| 35 | ECCE | RECCE − R |
| 36 | FIRLOT | IR after F + LOT |
| 37 | REGNANT | PREGNANT − P |
| 38 | ANANA | BANANA − B |
| 39 | SEED-LAC | LEAD * in SEC |
| 40 | OATY | Y after TAO < |
| Down | ||
| 1 | KESAR | K + RASE < |
| 2 | ASHLARS | LAR(d) in (ASH + S) |
| 3 | ORRIS | (m)ORRIS |
| 4 | DODGEMS | DOD + GEM’S |
| 6 | ALDER(N) | (c)ALDER(a) |
| 7 | L(U)MA | LM + A |
| 8 | LEN(D)S | LENS |
| 9 | EYING | YIN in E(g)G |
| 10 | REFLECT | R + F in ELECT |
| 15 | RICKER | TRICKER − T(his) |
| 17 | SARD(A)R | R after SARD |
| 20 | CAPPER(S) | C + APP + ER |
| 22 | STADIAL | (AID + ATS) < + L |
| 24 | ISOKONT | IS + OK + NOT * |
| 27 | KARENA | KA + RE(i)NA |
| 29 | LYCEE | LYCHEE − H |
| 30 | BY-END | BEND around Y |
| 32 | CORNO | CORN + O |
| 33 | (S)ATAY | A + TAY |
| 34 | PEAL | PEA + L |