Listener Crossword 4376: Solution Notes
Trapped by ’Eck
Puzzle explanation
The letters removed from clues spelt out hints for Hamlet: “little pig; great Dane; Mousetrap writer”. The letters added gave “act two, scene two”, leading to the quotation “I could be bounded in a nut-shell, and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams”. Enclosed by A NUT-SHELL, the jumbled letters of DREAMS were replaced by HAMLET.
The answer “owches” at 1dn was defined by “stale pins”, ie the plural of the archaic “ouch2” (brooch). Chambers currently cross-references “owche” to “ouch1” (the expression of pain) but that is an error that arose in the 2003 edition, when the entries for “ouch1” and “ouch2” were switched and the “owche” cross-reference was never updated.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Extra/missing letter | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | G(L)uts | OMASA | O/A around MAS |
| 5 | marr(I)ed | IMPRISON | (PRIM + I) * + SON |
| 12 | (T)rails | WATER BIRDS | WARDS around TRIBE * |
| 14 | A-mended | LACUNAE | LACE around (UN + A(mended)) |
| 15 | (T)old | SIÔN | O in SIN |
| 16 | ear(L) | HEARTS | homophone of HART + S |
| 18 | C-old | LURES | LURCHES − (C + H) |
| 19 | cut(E) | ELLS | WELLS − W |
| 21 | plum(P) | ERM | ((plu)M RE(viewer)) < |
| 22 | T-On | LEITH | LEI + T + H |
| 23 | Ben-T | TEARSHEET | (HATES TREE) * |
| 26 | S-W-elling | BOIL | BOVRIL − (V(egemite) + R) |
| 28 | O-Pus | QUOP | OP after (Q + U) |
| 29 | pe-S-t | PIED PIPER | P in (PIED + PIER) |
| 32 | ma(I)ze | SAMEL | MEALS * |
| 34 | C-at | LEO | L + E O |
| 36 | (G)love | CLIO | CL + I’ + O |
| 37 | (G)low | MOONY | MOO + NY |
| 40 | b(R)agged | ON HAND | DONNA * around H |
| 41 | car(E) | AUTO | A + OUT * |
| 42 | (A)mount | TEACHES | SET < around ACHE |
| 44 | E-astern | KERCHIEFED | KED around (REICH * + F- + E) |
| Down | |||
| 1 | pin(T)s | OWCHES | (OCHE + S) around W |
| 2 | puzzle(D) | MAZELTOV | MAZE + L TO V |
| 3 | Mari-N-e | SEARS | SEA + (Cu)R(ie) + S |
| 4 | Car(A)’s | ARC | CAR * |
| 6 | f-E-athered | MINAR | MINA + R |
| 7 | Mega(N)’s | PRAD | RAD after P |
| 8 | T-Roy | ISSUE | TISSUE − T |
| 9 | Y(E)arn | SPIRITUEL | SPIEL around (RIT + U) |
| 10 | sto(M)p | OBOE | BO in OE |
| 11 | pedal(O) | NUNSHIP | N(urse) U(nswathed) + SHIN * + P |
| 13 | tab(U)s | BUSES | B + USES |
| 17 | (S)take | T-RAIL | (“-” + R) in TAIL |
| 20 | not(E) | LEITMOTIF | FILE * around (IT + MOT) |
| 22 | mas(T)s | LEGION | L + REGION − R |
| 24 | d(R)ead | HID | (H + D) around I |
| 25 | e(A)rring’s | FORINSEC | FOR + SINCE * |
| 26 | (P)raising | BASMATI | SAB < + MAT + I |
| 30 | t-W-o | POOCH | POO + CH |
| 31 | (W)ill | IODIDE | IO + DIED * |
| 33 | ca(R)p | ENOKI | (Jami)E + IKON < |
| 35 | Tur(I)n | EXACT | CAT * after EX |
| 36 | (T)hen | CHEEP | homophone of CHEAP |
| 38 | us(E) | OURN | MOURN − M’ |
| 39 | go-O-dliness | MERI | MERI(t) |
| 43 | (R)over | HIS | SH < around I |