Listener Crossword 4391: Solution Notes
22SEs Square by Tibea
Puzzle explanation
The puzzle was of the now-rare narrative style (the latest example of which was Listener 3285 on 24 December 1994). Answers were words missing from the preamble and text excerpts, or words that appeared jumbled in the texts. The texts were all from the issue of The Times on the day that the Listener Crossword first appeared in it. The puzzle’s title was Times Square, which, along with the highlighted FIVE TIMES FIVE in the grid, referred to the 25 years since the crossword migrated from The Listener magazine.
The ambiguity of 35SE, which could have been RAST or FAST, was resolved by the need for FIVE in the highlighting.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Preamble | ||
| 22SE | TIME | (The) TIME(s of March 23) |
| 41NE | ANSWERS | (other) ANSWERS (occur) |
| 42NE | EXTRA | (for) EXTRA (help) |
| 25NW | LIST | (in each) LIST |
| Excerpt 1 | ||
| 32SE | MOE | (h)OME * |
| 21SW | LISTENER | (the) LISTENER (ceased) |
| 13NW | SÉRAC | (Listene)R CEAS(ed) * |
| 4SW | JANUARY | (publication in) JANUARY |
| 10NW | SOY | (Januar)Y SO(me) * |
| 32SE | MOE | (s)OME (of the) * |
| 1SE | TROUGH | (readership) THROUG(h) * |
| 5SE | GANE | (ch)ANGE(s) * |
| 6SW | RATIO | (edi)TORIA(l approach) * |
| 9NE | MAY | (this) MAY (have been) |
| 26NE | DEVOTEES | (true to its) DEVOTEES |
| 14NW | TERMOR | (fo)R MORE T(han) * |
| 21SW | LISTENER | (the) LISTENER (crossword) |
| 38NW | DOR | (Listener crossw)ORD * |
| 22SE | TIME | (The) TIME(s daily puzzle) |
| 32SE | MOE | (it beca)ME O(ne) * |
| 39NW | COLES | (pinna)CLES O(f the) * |
| 38NW | DOR | (crossw)ORD (world) * |
| 38NW | DOR | (crossw)ORD (enthusiasts) * |
| 43NE | SEE | SEE (it reappear) |
| 40NE | TRIE | IT RE(appear) * |
| 6SW | RATIO | (edi)TORIA(l team) * |
| 24SE | SUTRA | SATUR(day Review) * |
| Excerpt 2 | ||
| 18SW | SIMON | SIMON (Barnes) |
| 16NW | BRANE | (Simon) BARNE(s) * |
| 5SW | GULF | (the) GULF (war) |
| 34SW | OVIST | (conflic)T IS OV(er) * |
| 40NE | TRIE | (ov)ER, IT (is) * |
| 22SE | TIME | TIME (to start) |
| 27NE | UNIT | (co)UNTI(ng) * |
| 5SW | GULF | (out to the) GULF |
| 8SW | HORROR | HORROR (in my heart) |
| 7SW | CONVEYER | VERY ENCO(uraged) * |
| 29SE | THERE | THERE (are plenty) |
| 2SW | ARE | (There) ARE (plenty) |
| 11SE | FOY | (plent)Y OF * |
| 8SW | HORROR | (plenty of) HORROR(s) |
| 11SE | FOY | (ecolog)Y OF (the) * |
| 5SW | GULF | (of the) GULF |
| 33SE | FEWTER | (the Gul)F WERE, T(hank) * |
| 36SW | GOD | (thank) GOD |
| 29SE | THERE | THERE (is, however) |
| 12SW | GREAT | (a) GREAT (deal) |
| 35SE | FAST | (wor)ST AF(fected) * |
| 17SE | BIEN | (have be)EN BI(rds) * |
| 12SW | GREAT | GREAT (cormorants) |
| 12SW | GREAT | GREAT (crested) |
| 23NW | TEERS | (c)RESTE(d) * |
| 19SW | EPIC | (s)PECI(es) * |
| Excerpt 3 | ||
| 37NE | POLICE | POLICE (spend £700,000) |
| 20SE | RIOT | (poll tax) RIOT |
| 11SE | FOY | (on dut)Y FO(r) * |
| 1SE | TROUGH | (march) THROUG(h central) * |
| 3SW | HOONS | (Officer)S ON HO(rseback) * |
| 20SE | RIOT | (in) RIOT (gear) |
| 30NW | SENIORS | (Commi)SSIONER * |
| 37NE | POLICE | (Metropolitan) POLICE |
| 23NW | TEERS | (y)ESTER(day) * |
| 29SE | THERE | THERE (would be) |
| 5SE | GANE | (dama)GE AN(d) * |
| 31SE | ANIGHT | (loot)ING THA(t) * |
| 15SE | YAPSTER | (las)T YEAR’S P(rotest) * |
| Excerpt 4 | ||
| 3SE | HALIERS | (C)HARLES I(rving) * |
| 25SW | LETHE | (C)HELTE(nham) * |
| 39NE | CHAIRMAN | CHAIRMAN (of the Commons) |
| 40NE | TRIE | (ca)TERI(ng) * |
| 38NW | DOR | (p)ROD(uct) * |
| 28SE | NERVINE | (recommendatio)N. “I NEVER * |