Listener Crossword 4836: Solution Notes
Our Evenings by Kea
Puzzle explanation
Even without calculating the alphabetic means, most answers’ letters could be entered normally, because the alterations would only affect the alphabetically lowest and highest letters. Then the calculations were needed to resolve clashes and to make up the total of 12 affected entries. The puzzle appeared in the week of publication of the novel Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst (which was reviewed in the paper on the same day), but had no other connection to it.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Across | ||
| 3 | DISHERISON | DISHER + IS ON |
| 10 | TWALS | ((Sod’)S LAW T(hat)) < |
| 11 | DOWING | D(ebts) + OWING |
| 12 | ROCKALL | ROCKFALL − F |
| 13 | OXLIP | OP around XLI |
| 16 | ALOO | VINDALOO − (V + IND) |
| 17 | WITTICISM | W + IT + TI + CIS + M |
| 18 | YERD | ER in YD |
| 20 | BUTTERS | BUT + TERS(e) |
| 22 | OVOIDAL | O + VOID + A(wfu)L |
| 23 | ERSE | ERASE − (saliv)A |
| 26 | FLUE-CURES | (RICE USEFUL) * − I |
| 28 | FOUR | homophone of FORE |
| 31 | SOLTI | SOLI around T |
| 32 | CRIOLLO | I in (C + ROLL + O’) |
| 33 | ENOUGH | (th)E NOUGH(ties) |
| 34 | PATER | PATE + R |
| 35 | DESISTANCE | DESI + STANCE |
| Down | ||
| 1 | STRAW POLLS | (A + WP) in STROLL + S |
| 2 | BOOTIE | BOO + TIE |
| 3 | DICOT | DICT around O; ref. 13ac, 21dn |
| 4 | ILKA | ((b)A(n)K (c)L(a)I(m)) < |
| 5 | HALACHA | (À LA + CH) in HA |
| 6 | ÉCUS | E + CUSP − P |
| 7 | ROOTSTOCK | ((K + R) around (COTS + TOO)) < |
| 8 | SALTIER | 2 meanings; (SALTIER + WENT) * = WINTER’S TALE |
| 9 | ONION | ON + ION |
| 14 | POSSESSORY | POSSES + SORRY − R |
| 15 | SANDLINGS | AND in SLINGS |
| 19 | ROTOLOS | ROT + SOLO < |
| 21 | OLEARIA | OLÉ + ARIA |
| 24 | SEATED | SEA + TED |
| 25 | BOONE | BO + ONE |
| 27 | RILLE | R + ILL + (bariton)E |
| 29 | ECHT | ECHT in BRIAN = BRECHTIAN |
| 30 | ZOIC | (CI + OZ) < |