Listener Crossword 4462: Solution Notes
Squares by Phi
Puzzle explanation
The unclued anagrams were “I paint modern” and “no dim painter”, both referring to Piet Mondrian. The final grid ws in the style of many of his paintings, each of the square regions being filled with the primary colour RED, YELLOW or BLUE that appears within it. As well as the version with all four lines extending from one edge of the grid to the opposite one (partitioning the grid into nine rectangles, some of them square), variants were accepted that omitted one or more line segments (each line consisting of three segments), as long as there were exactly four lines, forming a connected whole, with each coloured square having at least one edge bounded by a segment.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Square 1 | |
| DUST WRAPPER | DUST + W + RAPPER |
| EREMIC | CHIMERE < − H |
| REDE | REDONE − ON |
| TIERED | TITTERED − TT |
| Square 2 | |
| ASHRAM | A + SHAM(e) around R(oyal) |
| ASTERN | (e)ASTERN |
| BLUECAP | BLU(r) + PACE < |
| IRATE | (a)IR + ATE |
| STRIP | PITS < around R |
| TEAGUE | THE HAGUE − H − H |
| TERRELLA | ERR in TELL + A |
| Square 3 | |
| ASTONE | AS ONE around T |
| BOOBY | BOOB + -Y |
| DITHEIST | DIT + HEIST |
| EYELINER | (YE + LINE) in ER |
| INOBSERVANT | S in NATIVE-BORN * |
| ISOBEL | (SOBEIT − IT) in (k)IL(t) |
| OXHEAD | O + X + HEARD − R |
| PYROXYLE | PLENTY − LENT + ROLE around X,Y |
| STREAMER | STER(n) around REAM |
| VEXATORY | V + EXPIATORY − PI |
| WARAGI | RAGI after WA |
| Other clues | |
| NYSSA | N + (MASSY − M) < |
| ORTOLAN | (dec)OR TO LAN(dscape) |
| KERMES | RM in SEEK < |
| TEAR INTO | TEA(m) + R + INTO |
| OISE | POISE − P |
| DECREE | DREE around EC |
| SPECIATE | ICE < in SPATE |
| MERCAT | MET around CAR * |
| SKEO | SKE(w) + O |
| ALUM | ALBUM − B |