Listener Crossword 4870: Solution Notes
Fives by KevGar
Puzzle explanation
Ten clues contained italicised titles (minus “Five”) of Famous Five stories by Enid Blyton. The corrections to misprints and letters missing from definitions spelt out “Mighty more than Famous”. Accordingly, the names of the Russian composers collectively known as the Mighty Five were highlighted. The names of the human Famous Five characters also appeared hidden in the grid, and the Timmy (the dog) could have been shown by entering MMY in the central cell, as illustrated in the alternative grid here. Entries with highlighting of the Mighty Five and these names (or with the reversed ANNE in 24dn; with or without the TI for Timmy) were accepted.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Letter (misprinted)/ |
Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | wor(M)s | ANNELIDS | ANNE + LIDS |
| 7 | ODIN | OD(d) + IN | |
| 10 | GAMBOL | GAM + LOB < | |
| 12 | INDIAN | INN around AID < | |
| 13 | mo[I]st | HUMECT | HUM + E + CT |
| 15 | chan(G)e | LIRA | L(eaders) (w)I(th) (mo)R(e) (aud)A(city) |
| 16 | SCRIBAL | RIB in SCAL(e) | |
| 18 | REVET | (HAVE A MYSTERY) * − (AMY A SHY) *; ref. Five Have a Mystery to Solve (1962) | |
| 19 | Pat[H] | TRACE | (E + CART) < |
| 20 | SELADANG | GALES < around DAN | |
| 21 | S[T]op | BAN | 2 meanings |
| 22 | ASSYRIA | ASS + AIRY < | |
| 26 | LIGETI | LIG + (al)E + T(reasure) I(sland); ref. Five on a Treasure Island (1942) | |
| 28 | RUANAS | A in (RUN + AS) | |
| 29 | Arra(Y)s | DRESSES | DR + ESSES |
| 31 | LIS | (LIS + CARROT EATEN) * = (ON A SECRET TRAIL) *; ref. Five on a Secret Trail (1956) | |
| 33 | CALLANTS | CALL + A + NT + S | |
| 36 | (M)ean | SKIMP | SKIP around M |
| 38 | Rode[O] | KIROV | KILO with R for L + V; ref. ballet by Copland |
| 39 | CARRARA | CAR + RA-RA | |
| 40 | bee[R] | ESKY | (p)ESKY |
| 41 | ENTRAP | PARTNE(r) <; ref. Five Get into a Fix (1958) | |
| 43 | ORANGE | O + RANGE; ref. Five Go Off in a Caravan (1946) | |
| 44 | ORGEAT | (ARE TOGETHER AGAIN − (ETHER + AGAIN)) *; ref. Five Are Together Again (1963) | |
| 45 | plan(E)’s | TRIM | T(ilted) + RIM |
| 46 | (T)own | KORSAKOV | K + OR + (VODKAS − D) < |
| Down | |||
| 1 | S[H]ocked | AGAST | AT around GAS |
| 2 | NOH | NOAH − A(ncient) | |
| 3 | LAMB-ALE | LAM + BALE | |
| 4 | IMAGE | ENIGMA * − N | |
| 5 | Se(A)t | DICKEY | DICEY around K |
| 6 | BORDERLINE | (dra)B ORDERLINE(ss) | |
| 7 | OILED | BROILED − (B + R); ref. Five Run Away Together (1944) | |
| 8 | MARINER | MARNER around I; ref. Five Go Down to the Sea (1953) | |
| 9 | [N]ice | NEATNESS | NS around (EA + SENT <) |
| 11 | LARCH | R in LAC + H | |
| 14 | TIARAS | AIT < + RAS | |
| 17 | (F)ix | RANGE | RAGE around N |
| 21 | me[A]n | BLEAKEST | LEAK in BEST |
| 23 | STRAVINSKY | STRAIN around V + SKY | |
| 24 | war[M] | SIENNA | (AS NINE) *; ref. Five Get into Trouble (1949) |
| 25 | JULIA | JULIAN − N | |
| 27 | t(O)oth | INCISOR | (ROS(s)INI + C) * |
| 30 | STEREO | SORE * around TE | |
| 32 | MIRZA | MIRA around Z | |
| 34 | LOAMY | LOY around (A + M) | |
| 35 | SOPOR | ((neve)R (G)O (t)O (Smuggler’)S (To)P) *; ref. Five Go to Smuggler’s Top (1945) | |
| 36 | SCARERS | SCAR + ERS | |
| 37 | S[U]BS | PAY TV | (V + T + YAP) < |
| 42 | Pa(S)s | NEK | KEN < |