Listener Crossword 4471: Solution Notes
What Can the Matter Be? by Flying Tortoise
Puzzle explanation
The NW quadrant of the grid is a word ladder (words changing progressively by one letter) with clues that have a letter missing; the NE is a word square (the same words reading across and down) with clues that contain an extra letter; the SE is another word square (reading across and up) with normal clues; the SW is a normal crossword with clues that have a misprint. The top rows of the quadrants start with the elements FIRE, EARTH, AIR and WATER respectively. The letters associated with clues spell out the “choler, melancholy, phlegm, bloody”, the four types of HUMOUR (appearing in the circled cells).
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| First, (misprint), [extra], -missing- letter | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| [C]leaves | AFARAS | AS FAR AS − S |
| pat(H) | AIRWAY | AIR + WAY |
| S(O)me | ALCINA | ((m)ANIC LA(ughter)) < |
| O(L)d | ANNATS | STANNA(ries) < |
| Exceptional | ARMLET | (R(ock) + METAL) * |
| Bi(R)d | AVOCET | OVERCOAT * − O − R |
| ge-M-ologists | CARATS | (A(ssessing) T(he) S(ubsoil)) after (s)CAR(p) |
| H-E-art | CARERS | CAR(v)ERS |
| -L-ions | CARETS | RE in CATS |
| gr(A)ss | COMMON | MM in COON |
| -N-early | CURATS | CURAT(e) + S(ervice) |
| Course | DOLINE | LINE after DO(g) |
| [H]old | EARTHY | THY after EAR |
| Opera | EUROPA | OPERA * around U(rania) |
| f-L-ourish | FARERS | FAS around (R + ER) |
| The-Y- | FIRERS | RE in FIRS |
| [P]up | HASTEN | (Pas)HA’S TEN(ts) |
| (H)ornet | INSECT | IN + SECT |
| (L)ack | IRON-ON | (NO NORI) < |
| Extremely | MEADOW | A(dmire)D in MEOW |
| Generally | OPENER | 2 meanings |
| ru[M]ble | RADISH | DI in (R + ASH) |
| her(B) | RAMSON | RAMS + ON |
| ti[L]ter’s | TRISTE | TITER’S * |
| Ocean’s | WATERS | T(welv)E in WARS |
| to(O)l | WOMERA | M in WOE + RA |
| ma(D) | YENTAS | (SAY NET) * |
| den[Y] | YSHEND | (DEN SHY) * |