Listener Crossword 4789: Solution Notes
Die Hard by Charybdis
Puzzle explanation
The initial grid with all the letters and bars is shown here for information. The extra letters in wordplay spelt out “vertices; Necker cube; erase all else except pips”. Lines drawn between cells containing the letters of VERTICES formed a Necker cube, a framework that can be seen as a three-dimensional cube in two different orientations. The grid letters were erased apart from all occurrences of O, representing dice pips in correct positions on a cubic die. The extra words in clues were based on terms for dice numbers, as shown below. Entries with the letters of VERT_CES included, or with the Necker cube itself erased, were accepted.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| Extra word | Answer | Explanation [extra letter] |
|---|---|---|
| Across | ||
| SATIVE | SAT + [V]IVE | |
| KRYSTLE | (ELTS + Y[E]RK) < | |
| tyre (trey = 3) | PLATOON | PLATO + ON |
| EXMOOR | [R]EX + MOOR | |
| ALTO | TO[T]AL with letters cycled | |
| MERLE | ME + R[I]LE | |
| OLEIC | [C]OLIC around (incom)E | |
| Trace (cater = 4) | ROUNDEL | (OLD RUNE) * |
| NOBODY | NO + (D[E]L BOY − L) * | |
| CALIPHS | CALIPA[S]H − A + S(oup) | |
| DATE | DA[N]TE | |
| ace = 1 | SEE | SEE(d) |
| EGOS | E + GO[E]S | |
| ROCK COD | DOCK < after [C]ROC | |
| LYCAON | (CO + LAN[K]Y) * | |
| APHASIC | AP[E] + HAS + IC | |
| IDEA’D | I’D + [R]EAD | |
| TWEED | (ET[C] WE’D) * | |
| ULNA | U + L[U]NA | |
| crate (cater = 4) | GROANS | (holdin)G + ROANS |
| ROE DEER | ROED + [B]EER | |
| ENISLED | (DINE around ELS[E]) < | |
| USURER | SURE in [E]UR | |
| Down | ||
| SPAER | SPA[R]ER | |
| ALL-GOOD | ALL[A](h) + GOD around O | |
| TATOU | POTATO − PO + U[S] | |
| VOLED | (DEV[E]LOPER − PER) * | |
| KNOLL | KNO(w)-[A]LL | |
| ices (sice = 6) | RESEDA | ((Sahar)A DESER(t)) < |
| SMALTI | SMAL[L] + T(esseral) I(nlay) | |
| LOGIA | LOG + AI[L] < | |
| ERICA | RIC[E] in EA | |
| cater = 4 | GREYS | GRAVEYARDS − AV − (A + RD) |
| MOTLEY | MO[L]T + LEY | |
| quince (cinque = 5) | LEIPOA | LEI + POA |
| NUR | (i)N[S]UR(e) | |
| BACHED | BED around [E]ACH | |
| DECIDE | DECEIV[E]D * − V | |
| SUN | U[X] in (S, N) | |
| ELPEE | L[C] in ÉPÉE | |
| SOIGNÉE | SEE around (ON[E] GI) * | |
| react (cater = 4) | KOALAS | ALAS after KO |
| OBTUSE | [P]US in (TO BE) * | |
| RIDGE | (EG + DIR[T]) < | |
| ADORN | D in A[P]RON * | |
| AWARD | A[I]D around WAR | |
| educe (deuce = 2) | HEXES | H + EXES |
| SOLER | SOLE + [P]R | |
| CHARR | CHAR[S] + R | |