Listener Crossword 4415: Solution Notes
Right and Left by Ploy
Puzzle explanation
The initials of words moved in clues spelt “a door; F and S”, referring to the Flanders & Swann song Misalliance, the love story of a honeysuckle and a bindweed that corkscrew in opposite directions on either side of a door. Extra words in clues were synonyms of “wind”, “owl”, “edge”, to form WINDOW LEDGE at the top of the grid. The gaps in the lines through HONEYSUCKLE and AND BINDWEED showed where each “spiralling” vine passed behind a vertical support.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Moved / (extra) word | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 4 | Against → after not | LONGER | LONGERON − ON |
| EDICTS | EDIT around C + S | ||
| 7 | SMETANA | M(isallianc)E in ST + ANA | |
| (wiseacre = OWL) | OAK TREE | (subzer)O + AK + (s)TREE(t) | |
| 8 | CARATS | CARS around AT | |
| WANTON | homophone of ONE + TON | ||
| 9 | DETECT | DECTET with last two letters moved earlier | |
| UNRENT | RENT after UN | ||
| 10 | dying → after people | ESTATES | INTESTATES − INT |
| ONE-SHOT | ON + THOSE * | ||
| 12 | SEI | (v)I(d)E(o)S < | |
| SPY | P(ossibl)Y after S | ||
| 15 | old → before coins | ABDUCTS | (DUCATS − À) after AB |
| SEMINAL | (ISLE MAN) * | ||
| 16 | (Burp = WIND) | NEONATE | (fi)NE ON A TE(at) |
| DOOBRIE | (O + OR I’D BE) * | ||
| 17 | IOTA | (TAILOR − L − R) * | |
| opening → after lift | ONLY | (n)YLON * | |
| 18 | race → after Old | À BAS | SABA < |
| ODDS | O’ + DS around D | ||
| Down | |||
| 1 | Figure → before in | DOS-À-DOS | SADDO * + SO < |
| ÉVOLUÉS | (USE LOVE) * | ||
| 2 | GO-KART | GO + KA + RT | |
| IDEATE | DEA in (s)ITE | ||
| 3 | are → after Ten | ENTREAT | TEN with first letter moved down + ARE with first letter moved down + T’ |
| (border = EDGE) | WITNESS | WITLESS with (va)N for L | |
| 5 | CATCH A CRAB | (CAT + BARCA <) around CH | |
| GRANT-IN-AID | (GIANT DRAIN) * | ||
| 6 | RESISTLESS | IS in RESTLESS | |
| SANITISERS | SISTERS * around (AN + I) | ||
| 11 | OPTIMA | OP + T + (AM + I) < | |
| nearly → before all | ELATED | (TEA + DEL(i)) * | |
| 13 | PEEOY | PEE + OY | |
| dark → before brownish | EBONY | (ONE BY) * | |
| 14 | Y-MOTH | (Februar)Y + MONTH − N | |
| IDOLA | (I’ + O + LAD) * | ||
| 15 | small → before Individual | SNIP | S(uffer) N(erves) I(n) P(ersonal) |
| ADOS | SODA < | ||