Listener Crossword 4437: Solution Notes
Forgotten Middle Rows by Encota
Puzzle explanation
Adopting the middle name Menzies (which his father had forgotten to register at his birth), Iain Banks wrote science fiction novels as Iain M. Banks. The across clues needed an M added before solving and the across thematic entries were the titles of three of his Iain M. Banks novels. The down clues needed an M removed before solving and the down thematic entries were the only (non-sci-fi) titles by Iain Banks that contain an M, Stonemouth, Complicity and Canal Dreams, all entered without the M.
The title refers to the forgotten middle name, and “rows” = “banks”. The puzzle was published a few days before what would have been Banks’ 63rd birthday.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Added/ |
Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | See-M | EMERSED | (SEEM RED) * |
| 6 | M-Archer’s | MATTER | M(archer) + AT + TER |
| 10 | a ra-M-ble | ROAM | MAOR(idom) < |
| 11 | M-ark | XIAN | XI + AN’ |
| 12 | M-ating | SEX | 2 meanings |
| 14 | M-ass | SURFACE DETAIL | FACE in SURD + RETAIL − R |
| 16 | A-M-id | IVO | (m)OVI(e) < |
| 18 | M-other | OKAYAMA | OKAY + A + MA |
| 19 | A da-M-askeen | INLAY | IN + LAY |
| 20 | fresh-M-en | PENN | PEN + N |
| 21 | s-M-elling | SENSA | SENS + A |
| 22 | ho-M-e | EINA | EA around IN |
| 23 | a-M-bit | LEACH | REACH with L for R |
| 25 | M-ate | COPAL | CO + PAL |
| 26 | stor-M-y | IT’LL | LILT * |
| 27 | aS-M-ara’s | AISHA | ISH in A(smar)A |
| 28 | pro-M-’s | UPDO | UP + DO |
| 29 | M-Ed | CADIZ | CAD + homophone of IS |
| 31 | for-M | SALTERN | SAL + TERN |
| 33 | M-Aiden | RAE | EAR < |
| 35 | balsa-M | THE ALGEBRAIST | (TRAPPIST − PP) around (HEAL + (B + EG) <) |
| 38 | tor-M-ent | MAL | (Fe)MAL(e) |
| 39 | Ad-M-en | LOGO | LOGO(n) |
| 40 | Ga-M-ble’s | ANTE | ETNA < |
| 41 | M-astiff | OSSIAN | (Mol)OSSIAN |
| 42 | M-angling | SLEIGHT | (THIS LEG) * |
| Down | |||
| 1 | E(m)prise | ERS | E(p)R(i)S(e) |
| 2 | grim( M)ace | MOUE | MOUSE − S |
| 3 | (M)organ’s | EAR | EA + R |
| 4 | Ha(M)s | SHABASH | (HAS * + HAS *) around B |
| 5 | (M)an | EXCIMER | EX + CRIME * |
| 6 | (M)end | MADOC | (fil)M + CODA < |
| 7 | a(M) | ANEMIA | (I A MEAN) * |
| 8 | pal(M) | TEA CLIPPER | (PAL RECEIPT) * |
| 9 | (M)IT | EXIT | EX- + IT |
| 13 | (M)itch | PLAY ALONG | LONG after PLAYA |
| 15 | (M)anger | SYNCLINAL | homophone of SIN + CLINAL |
| 17 | (M’)lady | VANESSA | 2 meanings |
| 24 | ho(M)e | CHAEBOL | (BACK HOE) * with L for K |
| 25 | (M)are | CALORIE | (ARE + COIL) * |
| 27 | (M)allow | AZOLLA | (m)AZ(y) + ALLOW < − W |
| 30 | ar(M) | ARGON | Ar is symbol for ARGON |
| 32 | (M)uttered | OHMS | homophone of ’OMES |
| 34 | the(M) | ESTH | S in THE * |
| 36 | Far(M)ing | ING | FARING − FAR |
| 37 | Tote(M) | TET | (To)TE T(aken) |