Listener Crossword 4847: Solution Notes
Demeaning by Lionheart
Puzzle explanation
The letters in circled cells spelt CHRISTMAS. The “mean” letters in the clashing cells formed GRINCH, the mean title character from Dr Seuss’s 1957 book How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, set in Whoville. In the book it’s suggested that the Grinch hated Christmas because “his heart was two sizes too small”; accordingly, the seven across answers that straddled the central axis of the grid were entered with their middle two letters missing. At the end of the book, having been “de-meaned”, “the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day”, as he realised “Maybe Christmas, perhaps … means a little bit more!” To reflect that, the grid was split down the middle and the distorted entries plugged with triplets from “perhaps a little bit more”, making new words.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Across | ||
| 1 | ASTI | (Christm)AS + IT < |
| 4 | TASKED | SKATED * |
| 8 | ACTA | (m)A(t)C(h) T(e)A(m) |
| 11 | MEISHI | RISHI with ME for R |
| 12 | PUNTER | PUNSTER − S(omething) |
| 14 | ORB | OR + I BRING − I − RING |
| 15 | RESTRING | REST + RING(o) |
| 16 | LOTA | (A + TO) < after L |
| 17 | OOSE | GOOSE − G |
| 19 | RENNES | homophone of WREN; ref. Wren Day |
| 21 | UJAMAA | U + JAM + AA |
| 24 | PALLA | PALLA(dium) |
| 25 | SPLICERS | (PIES + L(e)S(s) R(i)C(h)) * |
| 27 | LYTHE | (THE GALLERY) * − LARGE * |
| 29 | SEA OWL | (A + SOLE + W) * |
| 30 | CEASES | CASES around (tre)E |
| 32 | DOPA | DO + PA |
| 34 | HULA | H(ear) U(kulele) L(ine) A(nd) |
| 36 | REMANENT | NAME < in RENT |
| 37 | HID | EID with H for E |
| 38 | ULTIMA | TIM in ALU < |
| 39 | ETHENE | WET WHEN WE − all Ws |
| 40 | EYRE | 2 meanings |
| 41 | SNEERS | S(tream’s) N(ew) E(mote) E(ncourage) R(esponsive) S(ubscribers) |
| 42 | OWER | 2 meanings |
| Down | ||
| 1 | AMOROUSLY | (T + YOUR SLAM + O(urs)) * |
| 2 | SERAC | CARES < |
| 3 | TIDE | T + IE around D |
| 4 | THE GRAPE | (PG + R(efreshingly) H(earty) + E + TEA) * |
| 5 | AISLE | A + ISLE |
| 6 | EPICEDES | ((th)E (nic)E + SPICED) * |
| 7 | DUNES | (chur)N in DUES |
| 8 | ANGLIA | (g)ANGLIA |
| 9 | TEST-FLEW | (W + ELF) < after TEST |
| 10 | ARCO | (Particul)AR CO(lourful) |
| 13 | TOODLE-OO | TO + DOLE * + O,O |
| 15 | RIEMS | MISER * |
| 18 | SALT FLAT | LAST * + FLAT |
| 20 | LAPLANDER | PLAN in LADER |
| 22 | JOYFULLY | JOLLY around Y(uletide) F(un) U(navailable); ref. Whoville resident |
| 23 | ALDERMAN | ALDERNEY with MAN for NEY |
| 24 | PRESENTS | SENT in (P + RES) |
| 26 | SADAT | (cros)S(word) + A + TAD < |
| 28 | HEARIE | HE + ARIE(s) |
| 30 | CLEMS | CLEMATIS − (AT + I) |
| 31 | EMEER | ((Th)REE ME(n)) < |
| 33 | THINE | THIN + (bab)E |
| 34 | FLUE | homophone of FLU |
| 35 | WHEE | WHEEL − (Hande)L |