Listener Crossword 4403: Solution Notes
No Offence by Artix
Puzzle explanation
Each of the overlong clue answers was anagrammed after removal of a letter to make a new word for the grid entry. The discarded letters were jumbles of REARRANGE (across) and PERIMETER (down). The thematic pairs of answers ADMIRAL/NELSON and HORN/BLOWER were hints for Horatio and the extra words in their clues gave “act one scene five”. All of the grid’s perimeter entries related to Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Jumbling their letters gave “These are but wild and whirling words, my lord” and “Horatio”, who speaks the line in Act 1 scene 5. The same scene includes the line “I will” (spoken by Hamlet) and Horatio’s later line “There’s no offence, my lord.”
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Extra words | Answer [removed letter] | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | the one choosing (28 OPTER) | MOTHER | M + OTHER |
| 5 | kiwi plant (15 KAURI) | BLOODY | LO in BODY |
| 9 | CO[R]NU | (O + RN) in CU; ref. 3dn | |
| 10 | rivals (33 VIES) | MARIACHI | MAR + (A + CH) in II |
| 12 | SOPH[E]RIM | (MENTORSHIP − NT) * | |
| 14 | NOT[A]NDA | NOT + AND + A | |
| 15 | U[A]KARI | A in UK + AIR * | |
| 16 | Murray’s fearsome (9 UNCO) | ENABLERS | (R + BASELINE) * − I |
| 18 | BO[R]REL | BARREL with O for A | |
| 20 | act | ADMIRAL | (A + DAL) around MIR |
| 21 | oak tree (18 ROBLE) | GROOVED | GROVE around O + D |
| 24 | Halifax’s good-for-nothing (14 DONNAT) | PAYSD | PAYS + D |
| 26 | LAPS[E] RATE | L + SEPARATE * | |
| 28 | [R]EPORT | REP + ORT | |
| 29 | one | NELSON | N + ELS + ON |
| 31 | brilliant art movement (12 ORPHISM) | RE-TYPES | R + E-TYPES |
| 32 | SEBESTE[N]S | BEST in SENSE * | |
| 33 | [G]IVES | OGIVES − O | |
| 34 | African antelope (32 TSESSEBE) | WANDER | “W AND ER” = WER(e) |
| 35 | wrestling (26 PALESTRA) | WRAITH | WRATH around I |
| Down | |||
| 1 | bits of Bulgaria (30 LEVA) | MURDER | (RED RUM) < |
| 2 | NO[T]ION | IT < in NOON | |
| 3 | scene | HORN | HO + NR <; ref. 17dn |
| 4 | large dog (5 BRIARD) | EMPALE | EM + PALE |
| 5 | BRAID[E]R | 2 meanings | |
| 6 | KISS[E]L | ARTEL with KISS for ART | |
| 7 | Danes overseas (22 OSTMEN) | OCTUOR | (ROUT + CO) < |
| 8 | HARD-[P]ANS | H + ARD + SNAP < | |
| 11 | Indian protests (8 DHARNAS) | I WILL | IWI(s) + L + L |
| 13 | AMN[E]SIA | MEN * in ASIA | |
| 17 | five | BLOWER | LOW in BER |
| 19 | bulb (2 ONION) | OROPESA | (O + SPARE + O) |
| 21 | local joints (6 LISKS) | GHOST | G + HOST |
| 22 | MONSTE[R] | MONSTER(a) | |
| 23 | STEA[M]ER | TEAM in SER | |
| 24 | illnesses (13 MANIAS) | PEEPER | PEE + PER |
| 25 | Scotch pine resin (27 ROSET) | DANISH | (an)D + ANISH |
| 26 | festival (23 EASTER) | PRESE | PRESET − T |
| 27 | TOR[I]ES | (s)TORIES | |
| 30 | [R]AVEL | TRAVEL − T | |