Listener Crossword 4736: Solution Notes
New Arrivals by Avian
Puzzle explanation
The puzzle’s theme was the book Watership Down by Richard Adams, published 50 years ago, in Nov 1972. The unclued entry HOUSING CRISIS hinted at the main theme of the story. The letters removed from entries on the left-hand side of the grid appeared in entries on the right-hand side in an order spelling LAND FOR WANDERERS, an anagram of Sandleford Warren, from which the rabbits were displaced. Six of the leading rabbits were highlighted in the grid: Hazel, Pipkin, Bigwig, Acorn, Silver and Fiver. Others were hidden as “split” elements in certain clues: 10ac Hawk/bit, 24ac Black/berry, 4dn Dande/lion, 19dn Buck/thorn, 22dn Speed/well. The title cryptically referred to WARRENS, formed from NEW ARRS by moving N and E from the left part to the right.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Answer | Explanation [extra letter] |
|---|---|---|
| Across | ||
| 1 | AZERI | G[L]AZIER * − G |
| EGGWASH | EG + PUGWASH − UP < | |
| 6 | OUTBID | (OU + [A]ID) around (T(alent) B(ut)) |
| PEASANT | PLEASANT − L | |
| 9 | IPPON | IN around POP * |
| BAAL | BA(n)AL | |
| 10 | IGUANAS | (IA + S) around GUAN |
| EASEL | [N]E in SALE * | |
| 12 | THE PIP | TIP around HEP |
| IN LINE | (b)IN-LINE(r) | |
| 14 | AT SEA | (m)A[D](e) + EAST * |
| UTGARD | (b)UT + DRAG < | |
| 15 | WIGHT | W + [F]IGHT with first letter moved later |
| THERBLIG | BLIGHTER * | |
| 16 | CORNET | CORN + ET |
| SAWDER | (RED + WAS) < | |
| 18 | DRESDEN | DR + NEEDS * |
| CAREER | CARE + ER | |
| 20 | TSOTSI | IST < around SOT |
| VERBS | (dri)VER + B(ark)S | |
| 24 | SLOANES | AN in SLOE + S |
| ARRAH | [O]’HARA * around R(aspberry) | |
| 25 | RESTAFF | REST + A + F + F |
| VERDI | DRIVE[R] * | |
| 26 | SEA-KEMP | SEP around MAKE * |
| MASHIE | IE after MASH | |
| Down | ||
| 1 | AUDEN | ADEN around U |
| ESPRIT | (valu)ES PRIT(tle-prattle) | |
| 2 | GAWP | WAG < + P |
| ETA | (AT + E) < | |
| 3 | RILE | RILEY − Y |
| ANON | 2 meanings | |
| 4 | STEAK DIANE | ((D + E) around IAN) after KATE’S * |
| IDOLATER | (RED LIO(n)) * around [W]AT | |
| 7 | BALTI | [A](nne) B(oleyn) + ALTI(tude) |
| EIGHTH | (h)EIGHT + H | |
| 8 | BANSHEE | HENBA[N]ES * |
| SPANIARDS | DRAIN < in SPAS | |
| 11 | UPGREW | PURGE * + W |
| SIGN | SI[D](e) + NG < | |
| 13 | PROBE | PROB + E |
| EFT | FE[E] < + T | |
| 17 | RAVE | V in RA[R]E |
| DARTLE | DALE around R(es)T | |
| 18 | CLAVE | CE around LAV |
| DISARM | DIS + ARM | |
| 19 | BOD | (DO[E] around B(riar) < |
| ETNA | ETH − H + (s)NA(g) | |
| 21 | ERK | ER[R] + K |
| SOSS | SO + ’S + ’S | |
| 22 | OATH | (speedb)OAT H(urtling) |
| RARE | 2 meanings | |
| 23 | SEFER | SEER around F |
| HIP | [S]HIP | |