Listener Crossword 4178: Solution Notes
Confused by Tea Leaves
Puzzle explanation
All answers began or ended with a colour, specifying how the remainder was initially to be entered, leading to clashes of colour in every cell. The message from across clues was “Applying ‘F is T’ to title suggests two colours; use second for every letter apart from ten as described by Henry”. This transformed the puzzle’s title to “Contused”, suggesting “black and blue”, so letters were written in blue except for MODEL T FORD in black, a reference to Henry Ford’s dictum about “any colour … so long as it is black”. The optional signature represented “teal EAVES”.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| Extra word | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| applying | (CHAMPAGNE) SOCIALIST | (COACH AGAINST SIMPLE) * |
| fist | (EBON)ITE | (ONE BITE) * |
| to | (BLUE) MURDER | MURDER (crows) after B(eag)L(es g)U(ard) E(ggs) |
| title | (BLUE)-CHIP | BLUE + CHI + P |
| suggests | SMEA(RED) | SM + EA + RED |
| two | (BUFF)I | BUFF + I |
| colours | (TAN)KS | TAN + K’S |
| Use | MOD(RED) | M(ove) + O’ + D + RED |
| second | (SALMON)ELLA | ELLA after SALMON |
| for | (HAZEL)NUT | (HUNT + ZEAL) * |
| Every | (GREEN)FORD | GREEN + FOR + D(ecaying) |
| letter | (BLOND)IN | B(erate) L(iberal) O(ver) N(ational) D(ebt) + IN |
| apart | (BLACK)EN | B + (wel)L + A (from) + NECK * |
| from | (SAND)HIS | (SAN + H + I’ + S) around D(ementia) |
| ten | (GREEN)BERG | GR + EEN + B + ERG; ref. Ben Stiller’s 2010 film |
| as | SCULPT(OR) | (CURLS POT) * |
| described | MO(ROSE) | MORSE around O |
| by | (BEIGE)L | BE + I + GEL |
| Henry | (YELLOW) SUBMARINE | YELLOW + SUB + MARINE |
| (GREEN) SICKNESS | GREENS + ICK(y) + NESS | |
| (PINK)O | PIN + KO | |
| CE(RED) | (for)CE(ful) + RED | |
| IMPO(SABLE) | IMPOS(t) + ABLE | |
| A(ROSE) | A + ROSE | |
| L(UMBER) | LUMBERJACK − JACK | |
| (CYAN)IDE | homophone of SIGH + AN IDE(a) | |
| (GREY) SEAL | GREY + SEAL | |
| (GOLDEN) TRIANGLE | (I LET LONG GARDEN) * | |
| TH(OR) | THOR(ough) | |
| (VERT)US | VERT (become a convert) + US | |
| (OLIVE)R | OR around LIVE | |
| IM(PEACH) | I’M PEACH | |
| MER(CERISE) | MERCER + IS + E(xpected) | |
| SUN-CU(RED) | CUR in DUNES * | |
| DO(OR) | DOR around O | |
| L(OR) | (g)LOR(y) | |
| TH(RUST) | H(itchcock) in TRUST | |
| (BLUE) FILM | BLUE + FILM | |
| DEMI(SABLE) | DEMI’S ABLE | |
| (SAND) IRON | THOUSAND − THOU + (NO + R + I’) < | |
| SPA(RED) | BATES − BATE + PARED | |
| (PLUM)B | PB around LUM | |
| U(SABLE) | USA + B(e)L(i)E(f) | |
| T(RUST) | T’ + RUSA − A + T(repidation) | |
| B(ROSE) | MOSS BROS − MOSS + E | |
| (SLATE)R | ’S + LAT + E(a)R |