Listener Crossword 4528: Solution Notes
Escapee by Dysart
Puzzle explanation
The letters missing from some across clues spelt out “I am the enemy you killed”, from Wilfred Owen’s poem Strange Meeting. The entry CONFLCT at 1ac reflected its first line, “It seemed that out of battle I escaped”. Extra words in the last three across clues gave a paraphrase for the title, “interestingly unusual encounter”. Corrections to misprints in down clues formed War Requiem, Benjamin Britten’s work incorporating poems by Owen, the titles of some of which were represented cryptically in the grid: ANOTHERFMLAD = Anthem for Doomed Youth [(ANTHEM FOR) * + LAD], EMITEGN = Strange Meeting [MEETING *] and EXTENTH = The Next War [(THE NEXT) *].
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Missing letter | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | fa(I)r | CONFLICT | CON + F + LICHT − H |
| 6 | le(A)d | IBADAH | (A(bu) + DHABI) * |
| 10 | War(M)blood | LILITH | (LIT + H) after ((evi)L (succub)I) |
| 12 | loo(T) | NEARER | EARNER with ’N’ moving |
| 13 | (H)Eight | ANOTHER | (H + ORNATE) * |
| 14 | d(E)ad | LADY | LAY around D |
| 17 | crud(E) | NABOKOV | BOOK * in VAN < |
| 18 | tau(N)t | GAENOR | (RAG around ONE) < |
| 19 | unit(E) | EMIT | M in TIE < |
| 20 | (M)asked | GLOWED | GLED around (O + W) |
| 21 | char(Y) | ASHY | SHY after A |
| 23 | flak(Y) | DISROOTED | D + ((h)I(t) T(a)R(g)E(t) S(p)O(t)-O(n)) * + (squa)D(rons) |
| 27 | bar(O)n | SLOB | SO around (rura)L + B |
| 31 | mis(U)sed | ICECAP | (A + C + PIEC(e)) * |
| 33 | (K)night’s | ADEN | NAKED * − K |
| 34 | pa(I)ns | TENTIE | TENE around TI |
| 36 | sp(L)it | TACHISM | TA + (s)CHISM |
| 38 | comp(L)ete | ODOR | OR around DO |
| 39 | h(E)ard | EPHEDRA | (k)EP(t) + HEARD * |
| 40 | bin(D)s | NOSTOI | (Ze)NO STOI(cally) |
| Extra word | |||
| 41 | interestingly | LEMNOS | LEMONS with ON < |
| 42 | unusual | EXTENT | EX + TENT |
| 43 | encounter | HAY-BOTE | (TO BE) * after HAY |
| Down | Misprint | ||
| 1 | CLAGGY | CLAY around ((wa)G(on) (mi)G(ht)) | |
| 2 | OINK | (b)OINK | |
| 3 | roo(M) | FIT IN | IT in FIN |
| 4 | CHEERER | CH + E’ER around RE | |
| 5 | So(U)red’s | TURNED | TED around URN |
| 6 | INFAMY | INFRA − R + MY | |
| 7 | S(A)nd | BEMBIX | BE + B in MIX |
| 8 | DRAKES | 2 meanings | |
| 9 | HRYVNYA | H(e)R(b)Y (e)V(e)N (m)Y (M)A | |
| 11 | (E)mits | THROWS | (TWO + M + HORSES) * − SOME * |
| 15 | (W)ild | DOG-HIP | (VAN GOGH − VANG) in DIP |
| 16 | VELD | (tra)VEL D(evotee) | |
| 20 | GILEAD | GI + LEAD | |
| 22 | ISOTONE | (IS + ONE) around (O(f) T(hese)) | |
| 24 | OCTAPLA | CATO * + ALP < | |
| 25 | n(I)bble | TEETHE | TEE-TE(e) around H |
| 26 | DATE | (i)TE(m) after DA | |
| 28 | ONCOST | NCO in OST | |
| 29 | (Q)uest | EDISON | SIDE < + ON |
| 30 | NESBIT | NEST around BI(d) | |
| 31 | (R)avel | INMESH | IN + M(agistrate) + (s)ESH |
| 32 | DEBASE | S in (DEBATE − ’T) | |
| 35 | tr(E)e | NEEMB | NEB around ’EM |
| 37 | (R)evolutionary | TROT | 2 meanings |