Listener Crossword 4520: Solution Notes
My Retirement Plan by Artix
Puzzle explanation
The theme of the puzzle was lines 25-27 of the poem To His Mistress Going to Bed by John Donne:
License my roving hands, and let them go, Behind, before, above, between, below. O my America, my new found land
The letters extending outside the grid formed DONNE (the corresponding entries were real words with or without the extending letter). In the misprinted clues, the letters of HANDS were replaced by those of DONNE. The extra words in other clues were jumbled synonyms of “hands”. In the grid, all occurrences of L were changed to R and vice versa, revealing more words from the thematic lines: LICENSE, ROVING, NEW FOUND LAND and MISTRESS. O MY AMERICA was highlighted on the NW-SE diagonal. In the preamble, “behind, before, above or below” echoed line 26.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Extra word/ misprint | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | RICE | ||
| 6 | Reworks (workers) | SEMINAL | SEAL around MIN |
| 11 | SEA POTATO | (A + POT) in SEAT + O’ | |
| 13 | TAMPICO | TA + MP + I’ + CO | |
| 14 | KIEV | KIROV with IE for the internal letters | |
| 15 | FERRELS | (R + R) in FEELS | |
| 17 | INADAPTATION | I + NADA + PTA + INTO * | |
| 19 | ONANISM | (i)NSOMNIA(c) * | |
| 21 | SAIR | AIRS with S moved to the front; ref. 16dn | |
| 23 | discretion (directions) | EDICT | E(xercise)D + I + CT |
| 25 | DEPONES | (r)ESPONDE(r) * | |
| 27 | h(A)ar | SEA MIST | SET around AMIS |
| 30 | ESSEN | (l)ESSEN | |
| 33 | CAMAÏEUX | CA + A in MIEUX | |
| 34 | proteins (pointers) | MORAL | OR in MAL |
| 36 | (D)unces | JAYS | 2 meanings |
| 37 | ETEN | E TEN; ref. E10 postcode | |
| 38 | NEM TAI | MEAT * in (N + I) | |
| 39 | NEW-FOUND | O in (WEN < + FUND) | |
| 40 | bra(S)s | RAND | RAND(y) |
| Down | |||
| 1 | RATLINE | (AT + LINER) with R moved to the top | |
| 2 | IOANNA | IO + ANNA | |
| 3 | CAMPANIA | CAMP + ANA around I | |
| 4 | ESPY | I-SPY with E for I | |
| 5 | NEIF | (someo)NE I F(ought) | |
| 6 | SAC | SAC(k) | |
| 7 | MORRA | MOR + RA | |
| 8 | Faste(N) | NAIL | NIL around A |
| 9 | DATE | 2 meanings | |
| 10 | LOVING | LOG around VIN | |
| 12 | PORT | PORT(rait) | |
| 14 | Sniggle (niggles) | KETA | KETAMINE − MINE |
| 16 | wasp (paws) | SORE | 2 meanings |
| 18 | ASTI | (NAIL + ASTI) * = ITALIANS * | |
| 20 | HETMAN | HE + T(roops) + MAN | |
| 21 | SPLAYED | S + PLAYED | |
| 22 | INSECTA | (SECT + A) after (L)I(n)N(aeus); ref. 5th classis in animal kingdom | |
| 24 | DEVOTEE | DEE around VOTE | |
| 26 | SEXFID | F after SEX + ID | |
| 27 | SAMEN | SEAMEN − E(ight) | |
| 28 | s(H)ow | MOAN | A in MON |
| 29 | SAJOU | (steal)S A JOU(rneyman) | |
| 31 | SUDAN | DA in SUN | |
| 32 | CREW | 2 meanings | |
| 35 | LOON | 2 meanings | |