Listener Crossword 4676: Solution Notes
Back to the Future by Chalicea
Puzzle explanation
The extra words in clues were all reversible, making new words when “turned”, the initial letters of which spelt “Dick Whittington”. The words AGAIN, AGAIN, AGAIN, LORD, MAYOR, OF and LONDON were hidden in reverse in alternate rows of the grid, cryptically representing the verse “Turn again, [Whittington,] thrice Lord Mayor of London”, which in the traditional pantomime Dick Whittington is supposed to have heard from (37ac) Bow Bells as he was leaving London.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Extra word | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | NIAGARA | GAIN < + (p)AR(t) + A(s) | |
| 7 | NEED-BE | NÉE + DBE | |
| 12 | MURAL | LARUM < | |
| 13 | saved (devas) | DIAN | DI + AN(y) |
| 14 | ti (it) | BANIA | BAN + I + A |
| 15 | GARLANDS | GAR + LANDS | |
| 16 | IDA | ID + A | |
| 17 | SIT BY | SUIT − U + BY | |
| 18 | SILENI | (u)S(e) (w)IL(d) (m)EN(’s) (w)I(t) | |
| 20 | APACE | APACHE − (strengt)H | |
| 21 | SCALED | SCALE + D(read) | |
| 25 | doc (cod) | DENDROLOGICAL | (OLD DECLARING + O) * |
| 27 | leek (keel) | AUCUBA | A + U(prooted) + CUBA |
| 30 | STROY | TROY after (Achille)S | |
| 33 | COMATE | CO-MATE | |
| 36 | TIARA | I in TARA | |
| 37 | BOW | (WOBBLING − BLING) < | |
| 38 | TIMEFORM | (FT MEMOIR) * | |
| 39 | INBYE | IN + BYE | |
| 40 | ONER | RENO < | |
| 41 | RAISE | 2 meanings | |
| 42 | Raw (war) | PERNOD | PER + DON < |
| 43 | NO LET-UP | OPULENT * | |
| Down | |||
| 1 | D’oh (hod) | NEBISH | NE + BIS + H(eard) |
| 2 | IN A DIRECT LINE | (INNER CITADEL) * around I | |
| 3 | ANNALS | L in ANNAS | |
| 4 | GRISELDA | GRISE + LAD * | |
| 5 | Siri (iris) | AMAIN | MANIA * |
| 6 | part (trap) | ARABA | ARAB + A |
| 7 | NARY | (A + R) in NY | |
| 8 | ELLS | SELL with letters cycled | |
| 9 | DINNAE | DINE around NA | |
| 10 | BAD SCRAN TO YOU | BROADCAST * around N + YOU | |
| 11 | ENSHELL | ENS + HELL | |
| 13 | DAMP | DA + MP | |
| 19 | snot (tons) | GLOB | G(lee) + LOB |
| 22 | nori (iron) | COCA | CO + CA |
| 23 | pan (nap) | ALU | AL(l) + U |
| 24 | DIAMANTÉ | ANIMATED * | |
| 25 | DESKTOP | (S(a)T + POKED) * | |
| 26 | snug (guns) | PRIMER | PRIM + ER |
| 28 | rebut (tuber) | RABBIT | RABBI + T |
| 29 | BEWEEP | (EWE + (cot)E) in BP | |
| 31 | two (owt) | OVER | O + VER(ses) |
| 32 | MIRIN | RIM < + IN | |
| 34 | tin (nit) | ORIEL | OR + IE + L |
| 35 | AFRO | ((Convect)OR FA(n)) < | |
| 36 | TOAD | (In)TO A D(itch); ref Toad in Wind in the Willows | |