Listener Crossword 3935: Solution Notes
Two Down by Wasp
Puzzle explanation
The puzzle’s theme was the UK boardgame Cluedo®, given by a jumble of the extra letters in the thematic clue jumbles. The body of (Dr) Black is in the centre of the board (on which the arrows represent two secret passages). The thematic group and their colours were as follows:
| No | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 12ac | Mrs PEACOCK | ho/pe a cucko/ld; extra letter U; definition “wife” |
| 25ac | Mrs WHITE | strud/el with/; extra letter L; definition “cook” |
| 37ac | Miss SCARLETT | let/ter to clas/sy; extra letter O; definition “femme fatale” |
| 42ac | Colonel MUSTARD | Die-ha/rd teams u/p; extra letter E; definition “soldier” |
| 7dn | Professor PLUM | Pa/m up cl/ose; extra letter C; definition “Don” |
| 19dn | Reverend GREEN | /gender/; extra letter D; definition “Minister” |
(These colours were not shown in the printed black-and-white solution grid.) The five cells of 25ac therefore appeared blank to receive the body, forming new words. Mrs White, no longer visible in the grid was therefore the murderer and four-letter words linked by the secret passages revealed the location (ball/room) and murder weapon (lead/pipe, equivalent to the more exact lead piping, which was also accepted).
Tolerance was given on the matter of colours, since not everyone had ready access to appropriate tools. Thus, a separate list of the entries and the required colours was allowed. Similarly, highlighting cells was allowed as well as writing the names using coloured letters. Titles (Mrs, etc) in the box at the foot of the grid were ignored, consistent with the rest of the grid.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | LOSE COUNT | LOSE + COUNT (Dracula) |
| 8 | TEA CLOTH | A + CLOT in THE* |
| 10 | BALL | (foot)BALL, or (base)BALL, etc |
| 12 | PEACOCK | Thematic: see above |
| 14 | SUE | Every third letter: St aUstEll |
| 15 | IDANT | (I + AND + TI)* – I; reference “chromosome” |
| 16 | COME HOME | COME & HOME are eye-rhymes; reference slip of an anchor |
| 18 | AGUE | Hidden |
| 20 | DORIC | I in (DOR + C) |
| 23 | ALMERY | (co)AL + ER (King Edward) in MY |
| 24 | REEF | FREE* (set indicates anagram) |
| 25 | WHITE | Thematic: see above |
| 27 | EARN | EASTERN – (S + TE) |
| 29 | BIOTIC | BIOTIN with C for N |
| 33 | ENTIA | (T + ALIEN)* – L(anding-strips) |
| 36 | HOSE | HO + SE; reference common hose-pipe bans in Summer |
| 37 | SCARLETT | Thematic: see above |
| 39 | PEEPS | Homophone Pepys = diarist |
| 41 | ART | ART (Garfunkel); reference (Paul) Simon & Garfunkel |
| 42 | MUSTARD | Thematic: see above |
| 43 | ROOM | Homophone rheum = cold |
| 44 | RESCRIPT | PRECIS* in R + T |
| 45 | PHOTOTYPE | HOT PROPERTY* – (R + R) |
| Down | ||
| 1 | LEAD | Two definitions |
| 2 | SCÈNE À FAIRE | Thematic: climactic scene in play or opera |
| 3 | ELATE | ’E + LATE; reference Cockney pronunciation |
| 4 | O’TOOLE | ONE with TOOL for N; reference Peter O’Toole, Irish actor |
| 5 | NAKED | (s)NAKED; “hood” suggests first letter |
| 6 | RASORIAL | RA + SAILOR* |
| 7 | PLUM | Thematic: see above |
| 8 | TRIAL | T’ + RIAL |
| 9 | OCCAM | Two definitions; computer language and William of Occam |
| 11 | LEECH | LEE + CH (surgeon) |
| 13 | CHOKECHERRY | CH + OK + E + CHERRY |
| 17 | MART | TRAM < |
| 19 | GREEN | Thematic: see above |
| 21 | IDRIS | IS about DRI(nks) |
| 22 | TESTATOR | TASTE* + TOR |
| 26 | HIKE | Homophone high + KE |
| 28 | KESAR | ESKAR* |
| 30 | OUTSET | (TO + USE + T)* |
| 31 | TATTS | Two definitions |
| 32 | RESAT | TASER < |
| 34 | ALMEH | Initial letters & lit |
| 35 | EPACT | E + PACT |
| 38 | CROP | CR + OP |
| 40 | PIPE | Hidden |