Listener Crossword 4856: Solution Notes
If You Say So by Tuds
Puzzle explanation
The extra words {alternate, column, central} in clues referred to alternate cells in column 7, where letters (shown in green here) were changed, along with two more in row 7, to produce THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK. The corrections to misprints spelt out “vacate all but thirty-two cells”, ie blanking the rest of the grid to leave only the ironic message. The other two extra words {gag, pride} supplied the letters of PAGE and GRID for the final change, to make the self-contradictory message THIS GRID IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Misprint/ |
Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | wo(V)en | AGLET | AG + LET |
| 7 | Station(A)ry | STATIC | SIC around TAT |
| 12 | (C)ropped | RATOONED | (came)RA TO ONE D(irector) |
| 13 | s(A)y | NO-NO | NO + NO |
| 14 | s(T)art | SUNUP | PUNS < around U |
| 15 | dr(E)ad | AWELESS | WEASELS * |
| 16 | Fr(A)ud | DODGERY | (ATTENDED ORGY − (AT TEN)) * |
| 17 | leve(L) | REAN | KOREAN − KO |
| 18 | (L)ink | SCSI | S(able) C(rest) S(how) I(nescutcheon) |
| 21 | (B)ank | AGENT | AT around GEN |
| 22 | T(U)b | SAIC | ’S + A1 + C |
| 23 | Wa(T)er | WET | W(r)E(a)T(h) |
| 24 | Goa(T) | DUIKER | (RE + K) < after (DU + I) |
| 26 | (H)it | INVENT | INDENT with V (5) for D (500) |
| 29 | Per(I)od | EON | (th)E (ouz)O (gi)N |
| 31 | Expe(R)ts | ABLY | BL in AY |
| 32 | bi(T)s | NOILS | (sheepski)N + OILS |
| 33 | k(Y) | SEYS | YES < + S |
| 35 | Fille(T) | BONE | B + ONE |
| 36 | (W)ords | LETTISH | homophone of LETTUCE with /sh/ for /s/ sound |
| 38 | r(O)m | DIDICOI | DID + I’ + CO + I |
| 39 | (C)lamour | CRIED | CIDER * |
| 40 | cl(E)ver | GLEG | GANG with L(if)E for AN |
| 41 | B(L)oody | BLINKING | B + LINKING |
| 42 | (L)ass | SERENA | ((mont)ANE RES(erve)) < |
| 43 | we(S)t | SEGOS | S + (SO + GE) < |
| Down | |||
| 1 | ASSASSIN BUGS | AS + (SIGN AS SUBS) * | |
| 2 | gag | GRUE | GRU + E |
| 3 | alternate | LANDS | L(ines) AND (line)S |
| 4 | TOP-DOWN | (OD around P) in TOWN | |
| 5 | column | HOAGIE | HO + A + GIE |
| 6 | UNWEPT | (N + PEW <) in (h)UT | |
| 7 | SEE RED | SEE + R + E + ’D | |
| 8 | ANERGIAS | (ARE IN GAS) * | |
| 9 | TO SEEK | TOS(s) + EEK | |
| 10 | INSANELY | INS + AN + ELY | |
| 11 | COUNTRYSIDES | COUNT + RYES around (S + ID) | |
| 19 | CANOODLE | CA + NOODLE | |
| 20 | ICE-LEDGE | homophone of (I SLEDGE) | |
| 25 | UNPICKS | UP around N + TRICKS − TR | |
| 27 | VINIER | (REIN + IV) < | |
| 28 | central | THECLA | CL in THEA |
| 29 | pride | ENTOIL | (LION + (s)ET) * |
| 30 | OUTING | OU + (bu)T + IN G (major key) | |
| 34 | EHING | E(questrian) + WASHING − WAS | |
| 37 | REGO | RE-GO | |