Listener Crossword 4696: Solution Notes
Mint Sauce by Stick Insect
Puzzle explanation
The extra letters from jumbled words in clues spelt out “anagram of the answer and who or what coined it”, explaining the format of the ten thematic clues, whose answers were coinages for which Chambers gives the coiner in the etymology. The puzzle’s title is a synonym of “coin” and an approximate homophone of “source”.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Jumbled word | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | DOUBLETHINK | (+ GEORGE ORWELL) * | |
| 11 | A + line ← alien | RUN LOW | (UN + L) in ROW |
| 13 | N + tree ← Enter | LARCH | CH after LAR |
| 15 | CHORTLE | (+ LEWIS CARROLL) * | |
| 16 | A + mad ← Adam | SCISSOR | (IS CROSS) * |
| 17 | G + of ← Fog | OVUM | O’ + V + U(nstable) M(aterial) |
| 18 | R + season ← reasons | SEA-LIKE | SEAL + IKE |
| 21 | A + drives ← adviser | SERIFS | (S + FIRES) < |
| 23 | M + India ← Midian | NEEMS | NE + EMS |
| 24 | O + seat ← Oates | SOFA | SO + FA(r) |
| 25 | DROOG | (+ ANTHONY BURGESS) * | |
| 27 | F + share ← afresh | SPLIT | 3 meanings |
| 30 | T + flier ← trifle | IBIS | I + BIS |
| 32 | H + opine ← iPhone | JUDEA | JUDGE − G + A |
| 35 | E + schilling ← chiselling | NOSTOS | SON < + TO + S |
| 36 | A + stops ← potass | ASSISTS | AS + SISTS |
| 38 | N + moor ← moron | MUIR | IR after MU |
| 39 | S + heroin ← inshore | MISHNAH | MISHA(p) around N + H |
| 41 | INSCAPE | (+ GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS) * | |
| 42 | W + born ← brown | TENNÉ | TEN(d) + NÉ |
| 43 | E + amid ← media | À RAVIR | (D)AVI(d) in ARR |
| 44 | SERENDIPITY | (+ HORACE WALPOLE) * | |
| Down | |||
| 1 | R + manured ← Underarm | DRESSED | (MESSED − M) after DR |
| 2 | A + entering ← Argentine | OUNCE | ONCE around U |
| 3 | N + nuncio ← Inconnu | UNCI | (N)UNCI(o) |
| 4 | D + croon ← condor | LOOSING | LOO + SING |
| 5 | W + tite ← Tewit | TI TREE | TITE around RE |
| 6 | HOLISM | (+ JC SMUTS) * | |
| 7 | H + Marne’s ← Arnhem’s | ILEXES | EX in ÎLES |
| 8 | O + straying ← Signatory | NAGORS | GROANS * |
| 9 | MCGUFFIN | (+ SIR ALFRED HITCHCOCK) * | |
| 10 | O + amah ← Omaha | AHIMSA | (AMAH IS) * |
| 12 | R + sanction ← Constrain | WROKEN | OK in WREN |
| 14 | W + dishes ← Swedish | RAVIOLIS | VIOL in RAI + S |
| 19 | AVOISION | (+ INSTITUTION OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS) * | |
| 20 | H + latest ← stealth | LAO | L(atest) A(rmy) O(ppressing) |
| 22 | A + radius ← sudaria | ARBOURED | (l)ABOURED around R |
| 26 | T + up ← put | VESICA | ((cogn)AC IS EV(entually)) < |
| 27 | C + dope ← Coped | SASSARI | ASS in SARI |
| 28 | O + letter ← Lorette | PSI | (PARIS − AR) * |
| 29 | TUSHERY | (+ RL STEVENSON) * | |
| 30 | I + wed ← wide | INMATE | IN + MATE |
| 31 | STRINE | (+ ALASTAIR MORRISON) * | |
| 32 | N + love ← novel | JOKIER | JO + KI(ll)ER |
| 33 | E + custom ← costume | USANCE | US + ANCE |
| 34 | D + starter ← redstart | DAMSON | SAMSON with D for the first letter |
| 37 | I + tom ← omit | TACIT | CAT < + IT |
| 40 | T + one ← Note | NEVI | (O)NE VI(rginia) |