Listener Crossword 3952: Solution Notes
Abundance by Seth Mould
Puzzle explanation
The unclued (and aptly numbered) 13dn is LETTER-CARDS. Outer cells contain hands ordered consistently by suit and descending value, represented by letters AKQJTNESSFFTT. Letters omitted from ten down entries not appearing in top or bottom rows spelt YARBOROUGH, a hand with no card higher than a nine. The bottom row (South) is an extreme Yarborough. West, with top card K, four above South’s potential nine, might bid “abundance” (at least nine tricks) at solo whist. East may be read as real words (an, es, a, fatness, a), the longest, with meaning “abundance”, to be highlighted.
Extra letters in other clues (FFFFKFFFT KNNFEST TNQA FN EASTS FANA) could be decoded as HIGHLIGHT LONGEST WORD IN EAST’S HAND. K (=Knave) was accepted in place of J.
The code, using only the abbreviations for cards, was as follows:
A: A, B, C or D
E: E
F: F, G, H or I
J: J
K: K, L or M
N: N, O or P
Q: Q or R
S: S
T: T, U, V, W, X, Y or Z
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Extra letter Move + Remove |
Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACROSS | |||
| 8 | (f)lack | CLOAK | O(scar) in LACK* |
| 10 | (F)old | ACCOMPT | COMPACT* |
| 12 | (f)lex | ORLE | Hidden |
| 14 | (f)ire | GIRO | First letters |
| 15 | Nova(k) | ASTARTE | STAR in ATE; reference Greek goddess Ate |
| 16 | (F)arm | NUGGET | GUN < + GET |
| 17 | (F)log | CHOCK | C + HOCK |
| 18 | (f)at | TAIL END | (LINED + AT)* |
| 19 | s(t)ick | METRICATE | (MANCHESTER CITY)* – SYNCH* |
| 21 | span(k)s | SDEIGN | SIGN about (D + E) |
| 23 | alter(n)ation | MONOCHROMATIC | MONO + CHROMATIC; definition is precise, while suggesting pop group |
| 29 | Mea(n)ly | PANADA | PAN + A + DA |
| 31 | i(f) | CHAMFRAIN | (MARCH FAN)* about I |
| 32 | Hum(e) | PICKEER | PIC + REEK < |
| 33 | (s)um | OPIUM | OP + I’ + UM |
| 34 | (t)ending | BEKISS | BESS about (KI – (scol)D) |
| 35 | (t)rifle | DISROBE | (S + ROB) in DIE |
| 36 | bo(n)d’s | ’ARRY | First letters; Cockney pronunciation of Harry |
| 37 | I(Q) | ESNE | SEEN* |
| 38 | (a) | TAMANDU | MAD AUNT* |
| 39 | (f)laying | COMET | ME in COT |
| DOWN | |||
| 1 | so(n)s | SLOSHED | HELD SOS* |
| 2 | F + B | TABEFACTION | FINE CATBOAT* |
| 3 | Po(e)t | EARTHEN | EN (dash) about HEART*; adjectival use of “pot” |
| 4 | Edwardian(a) | SCENARY | E(dwardia)N in SCARY |
| 5 | T + R | FORTUITISM | MOIST FRUIT* |
| 6 | record(s) | EPIGEAL | EP + I + GEAL; definition describes a plant with runners close to the ground |
| 7 | ro(t)und | SPOT | SOT about P(aunch) |
| 8 | T + Y | CATACLYSMIC | CAT + (A’S about CLY) + MIC; reference violent tidal bore |
| 9 | F + R | FORETOKEN | FOR + E + TOKEN; see entry for “staff” in Chambers |
| 11 | S + G | STRENGTH | (S + GT + H) about RENT*; note medical abbreviation: gt = drop |
| 13 | — | LETTER-CARDS | Unclued |
| 20 | T + H | ENCHANTMENT | (CAN THE TEN MEN – (Ars)E(nal))* |
| 22 | N + O | CANNON-PROOF | CANN + ON + PROOF |
| 24 | N + O | CONFESSANT | CO + (FANS SENT)* |
| 25 | F + U | TAURIFORM | T + AU + R + I + FO + RM; references Flying Officer and Royal Marine |
| 26 | T + A | WHITE RAT | W + HIT + ERA + T |
| 27 | fla(s)k | PACKRAT | PRAT about ACK(-ack) |
| 28 | (F)leet | PRESENT | Composite anagram: LEET PRISON → PRESENT + OIL |
| 29 | I(a)n | PILINUT | TULIP IN* |
| 30 | uni(n)formed | DOUBLET | (TROUBLED – R)* |
| 34 | ro(a)d | BARF | F after BAR |