Listener Crossword 4648: Solution Notes
Not One by Nudd
Puzzle explanation
The corrections to imisprints in clues spelt out “Thomas Hood; No shade, no shine”, the start of a line from his poem No!, which concludes as follows:
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees, No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds, — November!
Symmetrically placed words from the listed categories were removed from grid columns, namely: argus, monarch, drone, nut, haw, pear, lemon, aster, rose, kat, needle, ortolan, tit, lanner, tui, daw, hen, owl. This left an N-shaped void in the grid, in which a large N for November was drawn.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Misprint | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | (T)aking | SEPPUKU | (PUKES UP) * |
| 7 | GEMSBOK | GEMS + BOOK − O | |
| 12 | TAO | OAT < | |
| 13 | clot(H) | LLAMA | (A + MALL) < |
| 14 | D(O)me | CUPOLA | UP in COLA |
| 16 | RATAPLAN | RATA + PLAN | |
| 18 | EWER | (f)EWER | |
| 19 | OTT | (p)OTT(o) | |
| 20 | NUDGED | DUN < + GED | |
| 22 | loa(M)s | MALMS | M + ALMS |
| 23 | LEONIANS | (ON ALIENS) * | |
| 25 | MARMOT | MAR + MOT | |
| 27 | ARLED | DEALER * − E | |
| 29 | L(A)ws | CANONS | NO in CANS |
| 31 | bit(S) | LAARIS | ARGALIS * − G(rass) |
| 33 | TAHR | (chee)TAH R(egularly) | |
| 34 | (H)alts | ENDS | (v)ENDS |
| 36 | ball(O)t | URN | RUN * |
| 37 | ROTATE | (ÉTAT + OR) < | |
| 39 | (O)ut | HEARS | SHARE * |
| 42 | SEANAD | ABSTAINED * − BIT * | |
| 43 | (D)in | ROW | 2 meanings |
| 44 | GUISES | GUES(t) around IS | |
| 46 | GNAW | (desi)GN AW(esome) | |
| 47 | ESTER | (w)ESTER(n) | |
| 48 | ow(N) | FIARS | FRIARS − R |
| 49 | EHED | (th)E HED(gerow) | |
| 50 | Wh(O) | DIETERS | REDIGEST * − G |
| 51 | BEDYDE | (PLAN + BEDYDE) * = DEPENDABLY * | |
| Down | |||
| 1 | (S)eat | STOOL | LOOTS < |
| 2 | EASTER | FASTER with E for first letter | |
| 3 | (H)elp | PORTOLAN | (O + OR PLANT) * |
| 4 | PLANNER | AN in LN in PER | |
| 5 | l(A)st | ULT | L in UT |
| 6 | UMP | U + MP | |
| 7 | GALE | G + ALE | |
| 8 | ECAD | DACE < | |
| 9 | bla(D)e | SPEAR | REAPS * |
| 10 | BOWL | B + OWL | |
| 11 | ar(E)a | KARST | K + A + S in RT |
| 15 | LEMON | (tab)LE MON(ey) | |
| 17 | u(N)der | ADAWS | AS around DAW; ref. 24dn |
| 21 | GNU | G(e)N(i)U(s) | |
| 22 | MAAR | MALAR − L | |
| 24 | bl(O)ckhead | IDIOT | I + DOT around I |
| 26 | MONARCHY | ARCH in MONY | |
| 28 | Steel(S) | KATANAS | SAN < after KATA |
| 29 | CHENAR | CAR around HEN | |
| 30 | (H)emming | NEEDLED | NEED + LED |
| 32 | (I)o’s | ARGUS | ARGUES − E |
| 35 | DRONED | DR + DONE with letters cycled | |
| 36 | URGED | (s)URGED | |
| 37 | Troo(N)’s | ROSET | STORE * |
| 38 | AEGIS | EG in AIS | |
| 39 | N(E)ck | HAWSE | (HE WAS) * |
| 40 | SWEDE | (SWEDE + T) * = STEWED * | |
| 41 | TITE | TI + TE | |
| 45 | ERE | (F)E(r)R(i)E(s) | |