Listener Crossword 4480: Solution Notes
The Code Duello by Agricola
Puzzle explanation
The extra letters from wordplay spelt out “I rode unsteadily in sewing machine” for 1ac Schroedinger and “Said ‘g’day’ on Buddhist mountain” for 10dn Heisenberg. Both could be encoded using Playfair code words of WAVE or PARTICLE, which are related in quantum mechanics by the Schroedinger equation. These entries can be thought of as existing in two states until the cat is seen in 23ac, as in Schroedinger’s thought experiment. Thematic hints in the puzzle included “uncertainty” (Heisenberg uncertainty principle) in the preamble, “double slit” (wave/particle experiment) in 42ac, “Planck’s constant” in 2dn and “Copenhagen interpretation” in 7dn.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Answer | Explanation [extra letter] |
|---|---|---|
| Across | ||
| 1 | SCHROEDINGER | (CH + RODE *) in SINGER; ref. Singer brand name |
| 11 | OUTSOAR | OU + [I]T + S + OAR |
| 12 | UPAS | PA[R] in US |
| 14 | BYE | BY[O] + E |
| HYE | HY[D]E; ref. Jekyll and Hyde | |
| 16 | OTARY | Y after (T[E]A in OR) |
| 17 | NASTIER | NA[U]R(u) around SITE * |
| TASTIER | TER[N] around ASTI | |
| 18 | ENDS | [S]ENDS |
| 21 | UNDEE | [T]UN + DEE |
| 22 | DEET | [E]D + LEET − L |
| 23 | CATS | AT in CS[A] |
| BATS | BA[D] + T(ee) S(hirt) | |
| 25 | INSULT | IN + L in SU[I]T |
| 27 | RAMEAN | (c)[L]A(m) in RAMEN |
| 29 | ITEM | EM[Y](s) after IT |
| 30 | DOES | D[I]ODES − D |
| WOES | W/O + [N]ES | |
| 32 | OVERT | VOTER[S] * |
| 35 | BUSY | BY around ([E]U + S) |
| 36 | EXEGETE | GET in ([W]EXE + E) |
| 38 | AREN’T | (st)A[I]R ENT(rance) |
| YRENT | R in [N]YE + (Beva)N + T | |
| 39 | NAS | SAN[G] < |
| 41 | MIST | IS[M] in MT |
| HIST | TH[A]IS * | |
| 42 | ITALICS | (I + C[C] + SLIT) * around A |
| 43 | UNCHASTENESS | UN + [H]ASTEN in CHESS |
| Down | ||
| 2 | BOY | [I]BO + Y(outh) |
| HOY | H + [N]OY | |
| 3 | QUEST | [E]QUES + T |
| GUEST | T after GUES[S] | |
| 4 | ÉTAT | [A]ET + AT |
| STAT | ([I]T’S A) * + T(urk) | |
| 5 | WOOED | WOO[D]ED |
| LOOED | [G]ED after LOO | |
| 6 | MADRES | MAD + [D]RES(s) |
| CADRES | [A]CAD(emic) + RES | |
| 7 | DRONE | (taw)DR[Y] ONE(sie); ref. Drones Club in Wodehouse novels |
| KRONE | K’R(i) + ON + E [O] | |
| 8 | MUTED | ME[N]D around UT |
| OUTED | OED around [B]UT | |
| 9 | GARDENED | G[U]ARDED around EN |
| HARDENED | HARED around (D + EN[D]) | |
| 10 | HEISENBERG | homophone of (HI + ZEN) + BERG |
| 13 | SYSTEMLESS | S + [D]Y + STEMLESS |
| 15 | MINIM | MINI + [H]’M |
| 19 | NETT | [I]N + E + TT |
| 20 | TABOURIN | [S]TAB + OUR + IN |
| 24 | TRÈS | TRE[T]S |
| 26 | UNRED | [M]UN + RED |
| 28 | EVENTS | EVEN + T[O] + SEND − END |
| 31 | SYNTH | (SHY N[U]T) * |
| 32 | OSTIA | (exclam)ATIO[N]S * |
| 33 | EXEAT | EX + [T]REAT − R |
| 34 | PENCE | PE[A]CE around N |
| 37 | GRIN | [I]R in GIN |
| 40 | ASS | [N]AS’S |