Listener Crossword 4737: Solution Notes
D2 by Eclogue
Puzzle explanation
The unclued entries were the names of planets in our solar system, and ART in the barred-off central cell formed EARTH. The extra letters in wordplay spelt out “replace all planets with the name of one of their satellites”, and new words in the grid were formed by the following substitutions: URANUS → OBERON, JUPITER → HIMALIA, NEPTUNE → LARISSA, SATURN → TETHYS, EARTH → MOON. In the central cell, ART → OO combined with the puzzle’s title to give R2D2, the name of a droid in Star Wars.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Extra letter | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 10 | P(R)ay | KABUKI | BU(y) in KAKI |
| 12 | stag(E) | ANIMAL | ANI + MAL(e) |
| 14 | To(P) | TAMANU | AT < + MAN + U |
| 15 | ki(L)n | KISAN | (S + A + KIN) * |
| 16 | He(A)r | SHEBEEN | SHE + BEE + N |
| 17 | tru(C)e | ERNEST | homophone of EARNEST |
| 18 | unit(E) | JELL | J + ELL |
| 19 | rot(A)ting | BATTLE | TABLET * |
| 23 | (L)and | UNSEELS | (’N’ + SEE + L) in US |
| 25 | Co(L)in | SEASON | AS in ONE’S * |
| 26 | car(P) | MOIST | MOT around IS |
| 27 | Go(L)d | ASSET | AS + SET |
| 29 | (A)gents | BOGLES | BOG-LES(s) |
| 31 | do(N) | POTASSA | (ASS + A + TOP) < |
| 33 | (E)lapsed | PLEADS | LAPSED * |
| 35 | hear(T) | LIDE | homophone of LIED |
| 37 | (S)it | VISORS | VISITORS − IT |
| 38 | (W)est | TSETSES | (EST SETS) * |
| 41 | fa(I)r | ANTON | AN + TO + (Ibse)N |
| 42 | ca(T)ches | IPECAC | (p)IPE CAC(hes) |
| 43 | (H)and | GARDEN | (GER(man) + AND) * |
| 44 | lo(T) | AVALON | A + LO in VAN |
| Down | |||
| 1 | c(H)ap | UKES | S after (j)UKE |
| 2 | m(E)an | RATHE | RAT + HE |
| 3 | Fin(N)ish | NUMBLES | NUMB + LES(s) |
| 4 | (A)base | SINE | SIN + E |
| 5 | (M)an | JAUNTS | (AN JUST) * |
| 6 | tel(E) | UNLET | (TEL + NU) < |
| 7 | Mo(O)ney | IMINE | (M after I) + IN + E |
| 8 | stra(F)es | TASERS | STRAES * |
| 9 | pl(O)y | RUNT | RUN + T |
| 11 | take(N) | BAELS | BARRELS − R − R |
| 13 | on(E) | LASSOES | LASSES around O’ |
| 18 | burr(O) | JUMBO | J + UMBO |
| 19 | le(F)t | BETEL | LET < after BE |
| 20 | S(T)eal | ALES | SEAL * |
| 21 | (H)alts | LEATS | (E + ALTS) * |
| 22 | ton(E) | ANTAE | A + N + T + À + E |
| 24 | Natt(I)er | NOOSING | (GO ON) < around SIN |
| 25 | Hi(R)st | SHOD | SH + OD |
| 28 | act(S) | SALTCAT | SALT + ACT * |
| 30 | (A)void | GAS TAP | GAP around STA |
| 31 | bas(T)e | PATINE | INAPT * + E |
| 32 | crus(E)t | SISAL | IS < + SAL |
| 33 | un(L)it | POORT | TROOP < |
| 34 | (L)east | ESSEN | E(ast) S(ide) S(its) E(ntirely) N(aturally) |
| 36 | hom(I)er | DECOR | DE + COR |
| 37 | (T)own | VAIN | V + AIN |
| 39 | (E)pic | SPAS | SAS around P(ic) |
| 40 | star(S) | SUNN | N in SUN |