Listener Crossword 4417: Solution Notes
HMS Arcady by Hedge-sparrow
Puzzle explanation
The extra letters from across clues spelt “John Masefield, Cargoes”. The grid entries clued by wordplay were the Spanish GALLEON of Masefield’s poem and its entire cargo (in the upper half of the grid) and the British COASTER and its cargo (symmetrically opposite in the lower half). The letter jumbles in the down clues provided the cargo of the QUINQUEREME (written below the grid in the normal spelling, as in Chambers, not “quinquireme” as in the poem). The puzzle’s title cryptically represents “mad March days” from the poem’s 12th line.
The wordplay in 23dn uses “meer”, defined by “regional boundary”. Chambers currently cross-references “meer” to “mere1” (only), “mere2” (pool) and “mere3” (Maori war-club) but the last is an error that arose in the 2003 edition, when the entries for “mere3” (boundary) and “mere4” (war-club) were switched and the “meer” cross-reference was not updated.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Extra letters | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thematic | |||
| • | EMERALDS | EM + ERA + LADS − A | |
| IRONWARE | IRON + WAR + E | ||
| • | DIAMONDS | MAID < + ON + D + ’S | |
| TIN TRAYS | RAY in TINTS | ||
| • | CINNAMON | CAMO around INN + N | |
| FIREWOOD | E in (FIR + WOOD) | ||
| • | AMETHYSTS | A + METHYSIS with T for I | |
| ROAD-RAILS | (SAD + O + R) * around RAIL | ||
| • | TOPAZES | PA in TOZES | |
| PIG LEAD | PIG + LEAD | ||
| • | TYNE COAL | TYNE + COL around A | |
| MOIDORES | MOOR-SIDE * | ||
| Across | |||
| 6 | (J)as | JUDAS | JUD + AS |
| 11 | co(O)l | LORICA | (COL AIR) * |
| 13 | Iris(H) | IRID | I + RID |
| 14 | Gra(N)d | ELBA | EL + BA |
| 16 | P(M) | TOPOI | P in TOO + I |
| 20 | r(A)n | ARNA | RN in AA |
| 21 | Fa(S)t | RAFT | (FAT + R) * |
| 23 | hol(E)d | ARREAR | A + R + REAR |
| 24 | pro(F) | EFFORT | EFT around FOR |
| 26 | pa(I)l | MALATE | AL(l) in MATE |
| 27 | slid(E) | ISLAND | SLID * around (A + N) |
| 28 | Fur(L)s | PELTRY | ELT in PRY |
| 30 | (D)over | OJIBWA | JIB after O + W + A |
| 31 | (C)ribbed | REED | homophone of READ |
| 32 | Indian(A) | ANNA | AN(a)NA |
| 35 | cu(R)t | SNEER | SNEE + R |
| 38 | (G)rate | BAIT | I in BAT |
| 40 | N(O) | ALOE | ALONE − N |
| 43 | Woo(E)d | ASHRAM | ASH + RA + M |
| 44 | (S)py | PYLON | PY + L + ON |
| Down | |||
| 1 | (pecks aco)rn → PEACOCKS | ERNE | EYRIE with RN for (YR + I) |
| 2 | TIN LOAF | (IN FLOAT) * | |
| 3 | YAMA | (AM + AY) < | |
| 4 | (When we tweet is i)t → SWEET WHITE WINE | TON | T + ON |
| 5 | SPIAL | P in SIAL | |
| 7 | UZI | (S)UZI(e) | |
| 8 | DERN | E in (D + RN) | |
| 9 | ASIDE | AS + IDE | |
| 10 | SUDS | D in SUS | |
| 12 | CITATION | O(perations) in TITANIC * | |
| 15 | F(or Ivy) → IVORY | DAFTER | F in TRADE * |
| 17 | GARDA | DRAG < + A | |
| 18 | NEAR | LINEAR − LI | |
| 19 | (A codeword) → CEDARWOOD | PREPARED | PRE-PARED |
| 22 | TEPEES | T + ÉPÉE + S(camander) | |
| 23 | AMEER | MEER after A | |
| 25 | (downloads a) → SANDALWOOD | FLIC | FLIC(k) |
| 29 | TANIWHA | TAHA around WIN < | |
| 33 | GILPY | G(u)Y around LIP * | |
| 34 | SAFER | FEARS * | |
| 36 | TAMP | TAM + P | |
| 37 | NOIL | LION < | |
| 38 | BRAD | BAD around (finge)R | |
| 39 | (seap)ort → APES | TORI | ORT * + I |
| 41 | EGO | EG + O(ne) | |
| 42 | FAO | OAF < | |