Listener Crossword 4629: Solution Notes
Right-wing Majority by Ifor
Puzzle explanation
The extra words in clues gave wordplay leading to {sun, new, inactive, hidden, stranger, radium, Oganessian}, the origins of names of the elements in group 18 of the periodic table, in order of their atomic numbers. Inserting their symbols into down entries would make, respectively: 8 Sa(He)lian, 26 pho(Ne)tic, 6 milit(Ar)ia, 23 ban(Kr)ate, 4 ta(Xe)mes, 2 gu(Rn)ards, 21 gamb(Og)ian. The group number 18 was drawn through the insertion points (any recognisable form of 1 and 8 passing through the right points was accepted). The title referred to 18 as the age of majority and the elements being on the right of the Periodic Table.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Extra word | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | every | AGNATE | NAT in AGE |
| 5 | Second | EMERSE | SEAMER * with (Adelaid)E for A(delaide) |
| 10 | part | CURRANT | RAN in CURT |
| 12 | from | ICTAL | TALC * after I |
| 13 | issuing | HA-HA | (SECRET + HA-HA) * = HEARTACHES |
| 14 | mine | MOE | 2 meanings |
| 16 | water | ARUM | A(s) R(eproduction) U(sing) M(onet) |
| 17 | shows | ANIONIC | CONDITIONAL * − TOLD * |
| 18 | invite | TASLET | LATEST * |
| 19 | out | BEAU | BEAT with U (next letter in alphabet) for the last letter |
| 20 | keeping | ASSIGN | AS + SIGN |
| 25 | advanced | SARAPE | S + A + RAPE |
| 27 | Command | RABI | BAR < + I’ |
| 28 | paper | MANIAS | (MAN + AS) around I(gnores) |
| 31 | hotel | YNAMBUS | NAM in BUSY * |
| 33 | nut | NOOP | N + OOP |
| 34 | died | NAE | AE after N |
| 35 | erroneously | DATA | (A TAD) < |
| 36 | inside | ITALA | (SNAG around ITALA) = GALATIANS < |
| 37 | more | SYRPHID | (HAPPY − AP + IS + R(oun)D) * |
| 38 | marked | CEMENT | MEN in CET |
| 39 | orienteer’s | STANCE | ASCENT * |
| Down | |||
| 1 | originally | ACHAR | (K)ARACH(i) * |
| 2 | GUARDS | (A DRUGS) * | |
| 3 | becoming | ARAMAIC | A + DRAMATIC − (ol)D − (agreemen)T |
| 4 | TAMES | STEAM * | |
| 6 | MILITIA | LIMIT * + I + A | |
| 7 | absent | ECHO | (th)E CHO(rus) |
| 8 | SALIAN | ALIA in (S + N) | |
| 9 | fearful | ELOCUTE | ELO + CUTE |
| 11 | Scottish | TENET | TENT around E |
| 15 | institute | ENEMAS | (SAME + ONE − O) < |
| 18 | united | TSUBAS | BUST < + AS |
| 20 | mass | ACRYLIC | UNCRITICALLY * − UNTIL * |
| 21 | GAMBIAN | NAMIBIA * with G for I | |
| 22 | One’s | GRANDPA | PARADING * − I |
| 23 | BANATE | BAN + ATE | |
| 24 | sun | FAUNS | A in FUNS |
| 26 | PHOTIC | H in (OPTIC with P moving up) | |
| 29 | INERT | (FINER + T) − F | |
| 30 | again | SPADE | PAD in SE |
| 32 | Red | MULE | M + ULE |
| Extra | |||
| every Second part from issuing | SUN | (i)S(s)U(i)N(g) | |
| mine water shows | NEW | (mi)NE W(ater) | |
| invite out keeping advanced Command paper | INACTIVE | INVITE * around (A + C) | |
| hotel nut, died erroneously inside | HIDDEN | (H + N (en = nut)) around DIED * | |
| more marked, orienteer’s originally becoming absent | STRANGER | STRONGER with A for O(rienteer’s) | |
| fearful Scottish institute united mass | RADIUM | RAD + I + U + M | |
| One’s sun again Red | OGANESSIAN | (ONE’S + S + AGAIN) * | |