Listener Crossword 4840: Solution Notes
Parentage in USA by Tringa
Puzzle explanation
The letters omitted by wordplay in the A set of clues traced NAME OF LADY across the grid, which was replaced by MONDEGREEN to change the jumbled entries into real words. The word “mondegreen” was coined by Sylvia Wright in her article The Death of Lady Mondegreen, in the November 1954 issue of Harper’s Magazine. The puzzle’s title, an anagram of SEPTUAGENARIAN, marked the word’s 70th anniversary and referred to its American origin. The extra letters in wordplay of B clues spelt “they end in S”, which was true only of the clues forming set C. The remaining (normal) clues were set D and, in alphabetical order of the clues, the answers gave a “mondegreen” of “Harper’s Magazine” (HARPER, SMACKERS, SCENE), another of “Sylvia Wright” (SILL, FIAR, RIGHT) and synonyms for “Gladly, the cross-eyed bear” (FAIN, ARTICLE, SQUINTING, ENDURE), which is a well-known mondegreen for “Gladly the cross I’ll bear”, from the hymn Keep Thou My Way, written by FANNY J CROSBY (1dn).
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Clue set | Answer (unclued letter) | Explanation [extra letter] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | D | FAIN | FAI(l) + N |
| 4 | D | SMACKERS | SACKERS around M |
| 9 | C | ANGICOS | (INCA GODS − D) * |
| 10 | D | RIGHT | BRIGHT − B |
| 11 | B | MESSENGER | ME[T] + N in (S(tudiou)S + EGER) |
| 13 | A | (M)EAN | EAN |
| 14 | C | TAGINE | EATING |
| 15 | A | INDI(E)S | IN + DIS |
| 17 | A | D(Y)NE | DONE − O |
| 18 | B | JIVE | J + [H]IVE |
| 19 | A | F(O)BS | FIBS − I |
| 23 | C | ASHY | SHY after A |
| 24 | B | ARAK | A + RAK[E] |
| 25 | C | RANA | RAN + A |
| 26 | D | HARPER | SHARPER − S |
| 28 | B | ODDS-ON | ODD + NOS[Y] < |
| 30 | C | MUSE | ME around US |
| 32 | D | SQUINTING | QUINT in SING |
| 34 | B | BIRLE | BE[E] around IRL |
| 35 | D | ARTICLE | ART + L in ICE |
| 36 | C | YIELDERS | (Compan)Y + IS around ELDER |
| 37 | D | FIAR | FAIR with inner letters reordered |
| Down | |||
| 2 | A | (N)ICAEAN | I(oni)C A(mphitheatr)E A(ttractio)N |
| 3 | A | BIG(A) | BIG |
| 4 | D | SCENE | ENS < around CE |
| 5 | C | ASS | ASSAYS − SAY |
| 6 | B | KING | (G(entlema)N + I[N]K) < |
| 7 | A | RIGGE(D) | (t)RIGGE(r) |
| 8 | STREETKEEPER | KEEPER after STREET | |
| 10 | A | EAR(L)S | S after EAR |
| 12 | C | SKIOS | (S + OIKS) < |
| 16 | B | SENA | SEN[D] + A |
| 17 | A | NAP(A) | NAP |
| 20 | A | HA(F)IZ | H(indu) A(n) I(ntelligent) Z(ealot) |
| 21 | B | MARSALA | MAR + SA[I]L + A |
| 22 | D | ENDURE | END + URE |
| 23 | B | AGONE | ((Wisd)EN O[N] GA(tting)) < |
| 27 | C | RENTS | RESIDENTS − SIDE |
| 29 | D | SILL | SILL(y) |
| 31 | C | UNCI | NUNCIO = ON < around UNCI; ref. 11ac |
| 33 | B | TAE | [S]EAT < |