Listener Crossword 4709: Solution Notes
For a Song by Elfman
Puzzle explanation
The puzzle was based on the American novelty song Yes! We Have No Bananas, published in 1923 by Frank Silver and Irving Cohn. Substituting that in the puzzle’s title gave “for a YES we have NO bananas”; accordingly, answers that contained “yes”, in a variety of languages, had it replaced by a jumble of the corresponding “no”. Other answers were entered with BANANA omitted; their clues had no definition (hidden in another clue) but contained an extra word that defined one of the yes/no entries. In the grid, ON (“no” reversed) was restored to SI (“yes” in Spanish) to produce the names SILVER COHN in a banana shape.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Extra definition | Answer (replaced word) | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | SUBMIT | (TIM(e) + BUS) < | |
| 5 | C(YES)ES | CS around EYES * | |
| 11 | PL(AYE)D | L in PAYED | |
| 13 | MOLTO | LOM < + TO | |
| 14 | ELOINS | ELO + INS | |
| 15 | TERN | 2 meanings | |
| 16 | esoteric (4dn INNER, NEIN*) | BANANALAND | BAN + ANAL + AND |
| 17 | Pretty Things (8dn) | APRICOT | (CAIRO + P(retty) T(hings)) * |
| 18 | MY LORD | (MYLAR + D) with O for A | |
| 20 | ETTLE | SETTLE − S(cotland) | |
| 22 | REVEAL | RED − D + VEAL | |
| 25 | MIRLY | (RELY − E) after (M + I) | |
| 26 | ABCEE | B in ACE + (stor)E | |
| 28 | MEZAIL | (I LAZE) * after M | |
| 29 | YEARS | YEARN with S for N | |
| 31 | ICICLE | I + CIRCLE − R | |
| 35 | CANOPIC | CANOP(y) + I + C | |
| 36 | THAT | THREAT − RE | |
| 37 | ANON | A + NOON − O | |
| 38 | JOHNNY | JO + HENNY − E | |
| 39 | SERAI | RAISE with letters cycled | |
| 40 | solids (5ac CONES, NO*) | SECOND BANANA | SECOND + BAN + ANA |
| 41 | DALTS | (ST + LAD) < | |
| 42 | Ice cream treat (30dn) | CORNEA | CONE around R + A |
| Down | |||
| 1 | SKELM | MAKES * with L for A | |
| 2 | subordinate (40ac) | UPLAY | LAY after UP |
| 3 | MAID | (ADMIRED − RED) * | |
| 4 | (JA)R | JABBER − EBB < | |
| 6 | OMBRE | O’ + M + BARE − A | |
| 7 | NOTITIA | (INTO * + A) around IT | |
| 8 | smoothed (11ac PLANED, NAE*) | ELECTRIC BANANA | ELECT + (A CINNABAR) * |
| 9 | STROLL | S + TROLL | |
| 10 | FON(DA) | (DAN + OF) * | |
| 12 | DIPOLE | DI(e) + POLE | |
| 19 | LECANORA | ACORN * in LEA | |
| 21 | PAY CASH | CHAPS * around (A + Y) | |
| 23 | VERONAL | (Ra)VER ON A L(ark) | |
| 24 | AMRITS | AM + STIR < | |
| 27 | BEANED | BANE around E + D | |
| 30 | ballerina (10dn FONTEYN, NYET*) | BANANA SPLIT | BANANAS + L in PIT |
| 32 | Queensland (16ac) | CHOCO | CHOCOLATE − LATE |
| 33 | LANDE | E after LAND | |
| 34 | ETYMA | MEAT * around Y | |
| 36 | THOR | AUTHOR − AU | |