Listener Crossword 4500: Solution Notes
What Have We Come To? by Kea
Puzzle explanation
The letters extracted from clues spelt out “song from Hello! and band in six parallel lines”, describing the highlighting of FORTY FIVE HUNDRED TIMES STATUS QUO in the grid. The song Forty Five Hundred Times was the last track on Status Quo’s 1973 album Hello!. In the context of this puzzle, it referred to the status quo being Listener Crossword 4500, in The Times.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Across | ||
| 1 | AHEAP | PAKEHA < − K |
| 5 | AUFGABE | AU + FE around GAB |
| 10 | SAUNAS | N/A in SAUS(ages) |
| 11 | NEOCON | ONCE * + ON |
| 12 | FLYNN | FLY + N + ’N’ |
| 13 | WALRUS | LAW < + RUS(h) |
| 15 | HARLOT | HAT around RLO |
| 16 | OBOLARY | (LABORATORY − RAT) * |
| 17 | FLAY | F + LAY |
| 20 | EMAILS | A in SLIME < |
| 22 | STORGE | STORAGE − A |
| 25 | ETCH | (swe)ET CH(estnuts) |
| 27 | TROCHEE | TREE around OCH |
| 28 | QATARI | QAT + ARI(d) |
| 30 | BHUTTO | (B + TO) around HUT |
| 31 | MACLE | MACLEAN − AN |
| 32 | INSOUL | (t)OUSLIN(g) * |
| 33 | SEE OUT | ((J)E(thr)O (T)U(ll)) in SET |
| 34 | ALTESSE | ((Kn)ESSET LA(mbasted)) < |
| 35 | RASSE | RE around ASS |
| Down | ||
| 1 | AS FROM | S in AFRO + M |
| 2 | HALF-BUTT | (BUT after F) in HALT |
| 3 | ANNULAR | ANNUL + A(ccumulato)R |
| 4 | PANDAR | PANDA CAR − CA |
| 5 | ASCH | (ex)A(ms) + SCH |
| 6 | UNWAYED | (YAWN < + ED) after U |
| 7 | FEART | R in FEAT |
| 8 | ACROLITHS | A + CROSS with LITH for S |
| 9 | ENSKY | ESKY around N |
| 14 | HOLOCAUST | (L + O’ + CAUS(e)) in HOT |
| 18 | ALVEOLUS | LV in AEOLUS |
| 19 | PETROLS | (LE SPORT) * |
| 21 | ARCHAEA | CHA in AREA |
| 23 | DORMER | DOER around RM |
| 24 | VEGETE | GET in VEE |
| 25 | ERBIA | I in BARE * |
| 26 | RATUS | RAT + US |
| 29 | IN SE | RINSE − R |