Listener Crossword 4488: Solution Notes
I-spy Choices by Xanthippe
Puzzle explanation
Clues were presented as in a game of I-spy, with the initial letter given at the start (but omitted from the wordplay). Clues were ordered so that the labels spelt out LISTENER, I-SPY, XANTHIPPE followed by the rest in alphabetical order; adjacent clues for answers starting with the same letter were sorted by decreasing answer length, then in alphabetical order of the answers. The grid clashes could be resolved to give, in two diagonal lines, either JAMES BOND and I(an) L(ancaster) FLEMING or JASON BOURNE and R(obert) LUDLUM. Grid entries reading down the first column and then across were CLEAR THESE AMBIGUITIES, a phrase from Act V scene III of ROMEO and JULIET; to make the phrase appear in the final grid, the clash at the centre of AMBIGUITIES had to be resolved as U, not E, which forced the choice of Ludlum and Bourne rather than Fleming and Bond.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| Clue | Answer | Explanation (first letter omitted) |
|---|---|---|
| L | LIANES | SENA < after I |
| I | IAI-DO | ADO around (Samura)I |
| S | SNOWBOARDER | R(oom) after (NO + W + BOARD + E) |
| T | THE MOB | HOB around ’EM |
| E | ESQUISSE | SQUI(t) + ’S + SE(en) |
| N | NEARS | S after EAR |
| E | EMBOUND | M + BOND around U |
| R | RICKSHA | I + C + H in KSA |
| I | IRENE | RENEWED − WED |
| S | SHELLY | (L + L) in HEY |
| P | PERSON-TO-PERSON | (ON + TOPER) in (ER’S SON) |
| Y | YALE | ALEC − C; ref. Bill or Hillary Clinton |
| X | XYLEM | Y + LEMON − ON |
| A | AMBIGUITIES | MB + (IS around (GUILT − L + I’ + E) |
| N | NETE | (thre)E TE(nors) |
| T | TIGER | (E)IGER |
| H | HAAF-NETS | (TEN in (S(olway) F(irth)) + A + A) < |
| I | ITEM | TEAM − A |
| P | PEG DOWN | EG + DON around W |
| P | POCKETS | (STOCK + (ornat)E) * |
| E | ELANDS | LADS around N |
| A | AISLE | (D)I(sney) + ELS(a) < |
| A | AMRIT | MERIT − E |
| A | AKEE | KEE(n) |
| A | AMIE | MIRE − R |
| B | BENESH | SCENE < + H − C |
| B | BUNYIP | PIN-U(p) < around Y |
| C | CONFRÈRE | ((FOR − O) after ON) + ERE |
| C | CRYING | Y in RING |
| C | CLEAR | LEAR |
| C | CLOTH | LOTH |
| C | CURER | R after URE |
| D | DAHL | A + HL |
| E | ÉCLAT | LA in CT |
| E | ENSUE | (N + S + E) around U |
| E | EDIT | DIT |
| E | EURO | (OR + U) < |
| E | EGM | GM |
| J | JULIET | LUTE * around I |
| J | JEEP | (v)EEP |
| J | JIAO | I(n) A (p)O(t) |
| K | KNAIDEL | DANIEL * |
| L | LIGNUM | I + N in GUM |
| M | MRIDANGA | (RAGA + IND) * |
| N | NAS | AS |
| R | RUSHEES | (USE + SEX − EX) around HE |
| R | ROMEO | OMEGA − GA + O |
| S | SUMMAE | ((mainstr)EAM MU(rmurs)) < |
| S | SPAM | PM around A |
| T | THESE | HEARSE − AR |
| T | TRUE | RUE |
| U | URAL | RAIL − I |
| W | WOST | POST − P |