Listener Crossword 4889: Solution Notes
CE by Mozart
Puzzle explanation
The initial grid fill is shown here (including entry numbers, not required in the solution), with the top and bottom rows in their original form. The bottom row was changed to OTTO JESPERSEN, a Danish linguist who studied a set of changes in pronunciation of the English language that took place between 1400 and 1700 and coined the term “Great Vowel Shift”. Y was treated as a vowel throughout the puzzle. Either IFS or EFS was accepted at 22dn as the grid entry for the answer FUSE.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Word changes | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | SALMON | SOLOMON | SOLO + M + ON |
| 40 | Viceroy’s → Vicar’s | PARSON | R in (PA + SON) |
| 5 | OIDIA | AIDE | homophone of EHED |
| 39 | car wins → crowns | TAJES | (A + S + JET) * |
| 12 | Emulatory → Military | SHOGUN | SHO(t) + GUN |
| 38 | TOMIUM | TOMMY | MM in TOY |
| 13 | Kind o’ lounge → Kindling | TINDER | TIN + RED < |
| 37 | TESLAS | TOUSLES | TOUS + LES |
| 14 | despot → despite | MAULGRE | MAUL + GRE(eks) |
| 36 | ERGATES | ARGOTS | (J)ARGO(n) + T(hieves) S(poke) |
| 15 | TRONA | TEA URN | (EA + RUN *) after T(ap) |
| 35 | touring → trying | TRIOR | RIO in TR |
| 16 | ORALISTS | ROYALISTS | SOLITARY * + S |
| 32 | ex-pilot → exploit | ESCAPADO | ACES * + PAD + O |
| 17 | lives → leaves | OCTAVO | CAT * in OVO |
| 31 | SLUDGY | SLEDGE | GLIDES * − I(mprint) + E |
| 20 | puke → pike | ELANCE | ÉLAN + CE; ref. puzzle’s title |
| 30 | UNSOWN | UNSEWN | UN + (NEW + S) * |
| 21 | day → dye | CHICO | CO around HIC |
| 27 | IFTAR | FEATURE | FEAT + URE |
| 23 | Scran → Scorn | SDEIN | DINE * after ’S |
| 24 | DAALS | IDEALISE | I + LADIES * + E |
| Down | |||
| 1 | SIMOOM | SUMMAE | (AMUSE + M) * |
| 29 | puritan → protein | MYOSIN | (MY + SIN) around O |
| 2 | ÅSAR | SUER | homophone of SEWER |
| 34 | flying → feeling | DEMO | DEMO(n) |
| 3 | touching → teaching | MOLLAH | (HALLO + M) < |
| 28 | AU PAIR | OPERA | (A + REP + O’) < |
| 4 | NURS | ONERS | GONERS − G |
| 33 | Cat’s → Cut’s | CROP | C(radle) + ROP(e) |
| 5 | Movie → Move | ONE-TWO | NO < + ET + W + O |
| 27 | INSETS | NESTS | ((mo)ST SEN(sitive)) < |
| 6 | plums → palms | ITAS | SATI < |
| 32 | ELSE | LOUSE | (E + SOUL) * |
| 7 | DITALS | DETAILS | I in SLATED < |
| 26 | elaborate → liberty | SWARAJ | WARS * + A + J |
| 8 | INROAD | NEARED | AR in NEED |
| 25 | board’s → bride’s | LOBOLA | OBOL in LA |
| 9 | Docker → Decker | ADORNER | (READ + R + ON) * |
| 21 | CASUIST | COSIEST | CO + SIEST(a) |
| 10 | MENACING | MINCING | MING around (IN + C) |
| 18 | candy → cyanide | CYANURET | CRUET * around YAN(k) |
| 11 | BRAZEN | BORAZON | (o)R(g)A(n)Z(a) in BOON |
| 24 | duties → duets | DUETTI | DUE + T’ + T + I |
| 19 | Tot → Tut | OCH | HOOCH − HO |
| 22 | IFS or EFS | FUSE | (U(nit) F(or) E(lectrical) S(afety)) * |