Listener Crossword 4390: Solution Notes
Castaways by eXternal
Puzzle explanation
Corrections to misprints in clues spelt out Deucalion (across) and Pyrrha (down). In Greek mythology, they were a husband and wife who survived the Flood and repopulated the world by throwing stones over their shoulders, Deucalion’s stones turning into men and Pyrrha’s into women. In the grid, answers that contained a jumbled type of stone had it replaced by the name of a man (across, for Deucalion) or woman (down, for Pyrrha) to make a new word.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Misprint, extra words, [removed stone] | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | [JET] | BE[TJE]MAN | BET + J + NAME < |
| 6 | [BERYL] | SO[BERLY] | SLY around ROBE * |
| 10 | (D)rink | ALE | RÂLE − R |
| 11 | tre(E) | SPRUCE PINE | SPRUCE + PINE |
| 12 | PLEASE | PE around LEAS | |
| 14 | DARIC | IR in CAD < | |
| 16 | STANCH | TAN in SCH | |
| 17 | jawbone (28ac MAXILLA) | ONCE | (p)ONCE |
| 19 | prayer (1ac BEDESMAN) | ILIAD | (I + LAD) around I |
| 21 | stationery cases (40ac PAPETERIES) | REAN | REAGAN − AG |
| 23 | R(U)bber | STROKER | STER(n) around ROK |
| 25 | RAZOR | ROAR < around Z | |
| 28 | [TOPAZ] | [ZAPOT]ILLA | O in (LIT PLAZA) * |
| 29 | ERNE | homophone of URN | |
| 31 | C(A)ll | VISIT | SIT after (VAIN − A − N) |
| 33 | Tria(L) | TEST | S in TET |
| 35 | TCHICK | T + CHICK | |
| 37 | O(I)l | ATTAR | ATTA(ined) + R(est) |
| 39 | s(O)ur | ACIDIC | A + CID + I/C |
| 40 | [GARNET] | PA[GEANTR]IES | PAGE + (IN TEARS) * |
| 41 | MNA | (Gy)MNA(st) | |
| 42 | infamous Biblical city (6ac SODOM) | ELEGY | (cru)EL EGY(ptian) |
| 43 | Shor(N) | SKINHEAD | SKIN + HEAD |
| Down | |||
| 1 | [RUBY] | BAN[BURY] | BAN + BURY |
| 2 | ELVAN | EL + VAN | |
| 3 | (P)ain | TEAR | TEAL with R for L |
| 4 | ÉPICIER | EPIC + IE + R | |
| 5 | barrel organs (13dn SERINETTES) | AULOI | (LOUISIANA − SIAN) * |
| 6 | SEAT | SEA + T(own) | |
| 7 | DIENE | DIE + N(ettl)E | |
| 8 | displa(Y)ed | ON-SCREEN | RENO(u)NCES * |
| 9 | relaxed (20dn ATONIC) | MENHIR | ME + (HEIR − E) after N |
| 11 | SCIENTIFIC | I in SCENT + SPECIFICS − (SPEC/S) | |
| 13 | steam bath (34dn SAUNA), [OPAL] | S[ALOP]ETTES | (A POLE TESTS) * |
| 15 | ALKALI | A(ffect) L(ovely) + KALI | |
| 18 | o(R)e | CALX | LX after CA |
| 20 | [PYRITE] | A[PYRETI]C | A + PYRE + T + I + C(ouldn’t) |
| 22 | EXARCHAL | EX- + ARCH + AL | |
| 24 | KORE | K + (E after OR) | |
| 26 | Elizabethan instrument (1dn BANDORA) | RETAKEN | TEAR * + KEN |
| 27 | RETREAD | E in DARTER < | |
| 28 | METOPE | OP in METE | |
| 30 | Fo(R)m | SHAPE | PA < in HE’S * |
| 32 | SHIRK | SHARK with middle letter changed | |
| 34 | [ONYX] | SA[XONY] | AX in SONY |
| 36 | (H)ull | CITY | SCARCITY − SCAR |
| 38 | Sp(A)n | TIME | EMIT < |