Listener Crossword 4479: Solution Notes
Postprandial by Salamanca
Puzzle explanation
The unclued grid entries summarised three of the first four lines of the dwarves’ song in the opening chapter of The Hobbit (the letters of which were in the circled cells):
Chip [the] glasses [and] crack [the] plates!
Blunt [the] knives [and] bend the forks!
That’s what Bilbo Baggins hates —
Smash [the] bottles [and] burn [the] corks!
Any punctuation at the end of the third line, written below the grid, was ignored.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Across | ||
| 10 | HOOD | 2 meanings; ref. Robin Hood |
| 13 | UNDERWENT | UN + DERWENT |
| 14,5 | THE WHO | HEW in HOT * |
| 15 | NIGHTINGALE | (AILING GENT) * around H |
| 17 | TEIL | TIL around E |
| 18 | RINGS UP | RING + SUP |
| 20 | UNLEAD | UN + LEAD |
| 22 | RENIG | IN < in REG |
| 24 | NUGAE | NU(ts) + GAE |
| 25 | WEASEL | AS in WEEL |
| 26 | IGUVINE | (UGLI − L) < + VINE |
| 28 | PUPA | PUP + A |
| 33,36 | CITOLE | IT in COLE; ref. Cole Porter |
| 37 | AEON | A + NEO * |
| Down | ||
| 2 | ERNIE | ERE around NI |
| 3 | NUDGING | GING after DUN < |
| 4,35 | ENROOT | ENT around ROO |
| 6 | EDEN | NEED * |
| 7 | FANG | F(alcula) + ANG |
| 8 | OUTAGES | OUT-AGES |
| 9 | KITE | 2 meanings |
| 11 | TELS | E in TLS |
| 16 | THEE | THE + E |
| 18 | RAWN | (N + WAR) < |
| 19 | IDÉE | I + DEE |
| 21 | LAVABOS | (SOB + AVAL) < |
| 22 | RAIL | 3 meanings |
| 23 | NEUTRAL | LUTHERAN * − H |
| 27 | URIM | (Esa)U + RIM |
| 29 | PEKOE | PEKE around O |
| 30 | CLAM | C + LAM |
| 31 | CUSH | (cir)CUS H(appening) |
| 32 | KRAB | BARK < |