Listener Crossword 4868: Solution Notes
Robbed by Cagey
Puzzle explanation
The across answers were the 20 subjects of The Lost Words: A Spell Book, published in October 2017 by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris. It featured nature-related words that had been removed from the Oxford Junior Dictionary for being little used by children. The across clues consisted of wordplay only, their definitions being “lost”, but they could also be read as normal clues giving different answers. These clues were given in alphabetical order of the alternative answers (included below). The puzzle’s title referred to the loss of words and the forename of Robert Macfarlane.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal, ‡ = alternative answer
| No | Answer [entry] | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Across | ||
| ACORN | A(utograph) + COR + N | |
| ‡ AMY | A(utograph) + MY | |
| FERN | F(in)E + RN | |
| ‡ FACE | F + ACE | |
| DANDELION | DAND(y) + (G)E(ste) + LION | |
| ‡ FOE | FO(p) + (G)E(ste) | |
| IVY | V(ixen) after I + Y | |
| ‡ FOX | F(ollowing) O(ne) + X | |
| STARLING | STAR(t)LING | |
| ‡ INTERSECT | (ITS CENTRE) * | |
| NEWT | NEW + T(ableau) | |
| ‡ LEA | (tab)LEA(u) | |
| OTTER | OTT + E + R | |
| ‡ LEAR | EARL * | |
| WREN | (NEW + R) * | |
| ‡ LURE | RULE * | |
| CONKER | CON + K + ER(a) | |
| ‡ MANAGE | M + AN(d) + AGE | |
| WILLOW | WILL + O + W | |
| ‡ OPT | O + PT | |
| MAGPIE | MA + GP + I + (curat)E | |
| ‡ PADRE | PA + DR + (on)E | |
| WEASEL | W,E + (SAL + (Penelop)E) * | |
| ‡ PALS | (SAL + P(enelope)) * | |
| BLUEBELL | BLUE + BEL + L(ycopene) | |
| ‡ PEARL | PEAR + L(ycopene) | |
| KINGFISHER | KIN + G + FISH + (P)E(d)R(o) | |
| ‡ POD | P(e)D(r)O * | |
| RAVEN | (broade)R AVEN(ue) | |
| ‡ ROAD | (b)ROAD(er) | |
| HERON | HER + (D)ON | |
| ‡ SHED | SHE + D(on) | |
| HEATHER | HEAT + HE(n) + R | |
| ‡ TEAR | TEA(l) + R | |
| BRAMBLE | BE + MELBA * | |
| ‡ TOAST | 2 meanings | |
| LARK | L(earner) + ARK | |
| ‡ TRAIN | TRAIN(ee) | |
| ADDER | LADDER − (kee)L | |
| ‡ WORK | W/O + R + K(eel) | |
| Down | ||
| 1 | BRANLE [ARBNLE] | (NOBLE − OB) after BRA < |
| 2 | BRICK [CBRKI] | CB + (wo)RKI(ng) |
| 3 | MURR [RUMR] | MU < in RR |
| 4 | ARABLE [ABLAER] | AB + REAL < |
| 5 | HERDEN [DEENRH] | DEE + NR + H |
| 6 | OLÉ [ELO] | (W)E(st) (G)L(amorgan) (C)O(uncil) |
| 7 | ISOLATE [LAEOTIS] | LANE − N + OTIS |
| 8 | CANNED [CDNENA] | CDN + ENA |
| 9 | DEFY [DFEY] | DEY around F |
| 10 | LIGAMENT [ANIMTEGL] | ANIMAL with TEG for second A |
| 11 | SKI-WEAR [KRIEASW] | K(2) + RIME − M(ountain) + A S(no)W |
| 12 | RILE [ILER] | (K)RE(m)LI(n) < |
| 13 | WEARING [GREAIWN] | GREA(t) + WIN with W moved later |
| 14 | GHEST [HGTSE] | (EST + GH) < |
| 15 | NOWL [ONWL] | ON + W(indsor) + L |
| 16 | WATT [TTAW] | TT + A + W |
| 17 | VIN [VNI] | (Vasla)V NI(jinsky) |
| 18 | ERR [RER] | RR around E |