Atom Smasher by Llig
Puzzle explanation
Corrections to misprinted letters in down clues spelt “the letters A to M are erased”. This allowed resolution of clashes in 13 cells where a letter in the first half of the alphabet clashed with one in the second half, all 26 being used. All clue answers are shown in the table below.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No |
Correction |
Answer |
Explanation |
| ACROSS |
| 1 | | JAVA | Cryptic definition; reference Java coffee and Java applets |
| 5 | | DAMOCLES | (OC + L) in DAMES |
| 10 | | NEREID | IN REED * |
| 11 | | AVAILE | A + ALIVE * |
| 13 | | AQUA | AQUILA – (I’ + L) |
| 14 | | HOSTA | HOST + A [it] |
| 16 | | CORBEAU | COR(ona) + homophone (BOW) |
| 17 | | STEEP | STEP about E(verest) |
| 19 | | PERIGEE | PER + I + GEE |
| 21 | | MINOAN | MOAN about IN |
| 22 | | RECORD | RE + COR. + (roa)D |
| 25 | | COLLISION | COLL. + IS + I + ON |
| 28 | | NEURAL | (LUNAR + E(xplorer)) * |
| 30 | | GNOMON | G + (N + MOON) * |
| 31 | | MORELLO | LO(st) after MOREL |
| 34 | | YOICK | I in YOCK |
| 36 | | VARIANT | I in VARANT + T |
| 37 | | ANANA | NA in ANA |
| 38 | | UNDO | UN + DO |
| 39 | | ALPINO | PLAIN * + O |
| 40 | | ACCEDE | DECCA < + (m)E |
| 41 | | DRICKSIE | RICKS in DIE |
| 42 | | DIVA | AVID < |
| DOWN |
| 1 | Remo(T)e | SPACEMEN | MENACE * after SP |
| 2 | s(H)eep | ANCON | ANCONA – A |
| 3 | mar(E)s | ARABS | A + BAR < + S(chool) |
| 4 | al(L) | GENERAL | (LAGER + (wi)NE) * |
| 5 | Ban(E) | DIOXIN | DI + OX + IN |
| 6 | S(T)uff | MATTER | (RET + TAM) < |
| 7 | ma(T)ch | CANTICO | CANT + I + CO |
| 8 | w(E)lder | PILE | (LIFE, P for F) * |
| 9 | (R)unny | SEEP | SEE + P |
| 12 | deba(S)es | LOWERS | (L + R) about OWE + S |
| 15 | b(A)ng | SUPERNOVA | (P + OVER A SUN) * |
| 18 | deb(T) | INCUR | Hidden |
| 20 | (O)dd | GONZO | GON + ZO |
| 23 | lea(M)s | DENEBOLA | DEN + EBOLA |
| 24 | Sh(A)ft | BEFOOL | BE + FOOL |
| 26 | c(R)eating | ORECTIC | OR + HECTIC – H |
| 27 | br(E)ach | INFRACT | IN + FR + ACT |
| 29 | Bar(E) | LLANOS | ALL < + N + O’ + (Ande)S |
| 30 | c(R)icket | GLANCE | C in ANGLE * |
| 32 | tr(A)mped | HIKED | HID about (K + E) |
| 33 | Clo(S)ed | ENDED | GENE, with final E in DD, – G |
| 34 | M(E)rry | GLAD | G + LAD – Y |
| 35 | ban(D) | IMPI | IMP + I |
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