Listener Crossword 4857: Solution Notes
Art of the Possible by Poat
Puzzle explanation
The answers to the 12 normal clues were anagrammed to make the words entered in the grid. In the other 24 clues, a word was anagrammed and had to be resolved before solving; the initial letters of the resulting words spelt out “cubic and quartic equations”. Re-anagramming the entries in the bottom and top rows produced ARS MAGNA (an anagram of “anagrams”) and CARDANO, to be highlighted. The solutions to cubic equations and quartics were first published in 1545 by Gerolamo (or Geronimo) Cardano in his Latin treatise Ars Magna (The Great Art). He is mentioned in Chambers as the inventer of the cardan joint.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Anagram (clue word) | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | cadet (acted) | ARCADES | CADE(t) in ARS |
| 5 | unescorted (Uncorseted) | ALONE | (wh)AL(eb)ONE |
| 10 | bedroom (Boredom) | BREEZILY | BR + homophone of EASILY |
| 12 | PIRAYA | RAY in PISCINA − (SCI + N) | |
| 13 | Isle (Lies) | VISAGE | I in (V + SAGE) |
| 14 | clary (Lycra) | PASSAGE | PA + S in SAGE |
| 15 | Australian (Saturnalia) | ASLAN | (SLANG − G) after A |
| 16 | TOTEMS | TO + STEM with S moved later | |
| 20 | ATRESIA | (TRÈS + I) in AA | |
| 21 | nastily (Saintly) | WET-LOOK | TOWEL * + OK |
| 25 | MANUAL | MAN U + A + L | |
| 26 | dragoon (gadroon) | UHLAN | ((Cardi)NAL HU(me)) < |
| 28 | quite (quiet) | GUTSERS | GUTS + ERS(t) |
| 30 | AERIAL | homophone of ARIEL | |
| 31 | untidy (nudity) | NIELLO | LIONEL * |
| 32 | American (Cinerama) | ESSENCIA | SCENES * + I’ + A |
| 33 | rock (Cork) | TRASS | TRESPASS − ESP |
| 34 | GATEMAN | (NAME TAG) < | |
| Down | |||
| 1 | tamboura (marabout) | ALAP | A + LAP |
| 2 | SCATTIER | SCAT + TIGER − G | |
| 3 | iron (nori) | DERATION | FEDERATION − FE |
| 4 | condies (secondi) | SIVERS | SI + VERS |
| 6 | SLAYS | LAY in SS | |
| 7 | exam (Amex) | ORAL | FOR ALL = FL around ORAL |
| 8 | quits (squit) | NEGATION | NEGATION − EG = NATION |
| 9 | ANTEDATE | (w)ANTED A TE(sla) | |
| 11 | uveal (value) | EASEL | EAU + SEL − U(veal) |
| 16 | abused (daubes) | MOWBURNT | (YET + MOWBURNT) * = MUTTONY BREW |
| 17 | telling (gillnet) | OVERHEAR | OVER + homophone of HERE |
| 18 | TITLINGS | TITLING + (puzzle)S | |
| 19 | insane (Sienna) | BROMELIN | (MILLER + B + ON) * − L |
| 22 | organism (Orangism) | ORGASM | ORGANISM − NI |
| 23 | neanic (canine) | CUSEC | (E + (neani)C) after CU’S |
| 24 | SWEAL | SWEAR with L for R | |
| 27 | stream (master) | LAVA | LAVATORY − TORY |
| 29 | AMOS | ’S after (A + MO) | |