Listener Crossword 4601: Solution Notes
The Name of the Game by Chalicea
Puzzle explanation
The extra words in clues were related to billiards. The initial letters of the words surrounding the extra words spelt out “the railway engineer”, referring to Isambard Kingdom Brunel. His Great Western main line between Bristol and London was so level that it was called “Brunel’s billiard table”. In the grid, his name formed the boundary of a rectangle representing a a billiard table, with three occurrences of the letter O between the words of his name, coloured red, white and yellow (each according to the extra word in its clue) to represent the balls on the billiard table.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Removed word | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | tempo (jigger) heightened | FRISKA | FRISK + A |
| 5 | INSTALL | INST + ALL | |
| 11 | Excuse (red) revolutionary | PARDON | NOD < after RAP < |
| 12 | UNIO | UNIO(n) | |
| 13 | OVERBOOKING | OVERKING around BOO | |
| 15 | SERUM | MURES < | |
| 16 | IRISED | RISE in ID | |
| 17 | across (Jenny) is | TRAGACANTH | (RAGA + CAN’T) in TH(is) |
| 22 | SHAG | S + HAG | |
| 24 | AIRN | A1 + R + N | |
| 28 | RAGA | RAG + A | |
| 30 | TRON | (s)NORT < | |
| 33 | GLEEMAIDEN | (MALIGNED + EE) * | |
| 36 | SPIREA | RIPS < + (ar)EA | |
| 39 | SORDA | homophone of SWORD + (he)A(rd) | |
| 40 | CONURBATION | (CAB ON TOUR IN) * | |
| 41 | line (cannon) with | OCHE | (EH + CO) < |
| 42 | DAGOBA | DAG + OBA | |
| 43 | LAISSES | LASSES around I’ | |
| 44 | ELSINS | (W)ELS(h) + IN + S | |
| Down | |||
| 1 | FROSTY | FROST + (Jul)Y | |
| 2 | REVERSI | EVER in RSI | |
| 3 | SPRUG | SP + RUG | |
| 4 | AROW | A + ROW | |
| 5 | as (nurse) you | IDOL | homophone of IDLE |
| 6 | SNIRT | STRAIN * − A | |
| 7 | ANGST | TANGS with T moved down | |
| 8 | LINEAR | LINER around A | |
| 10 | RERAIL | RE + RAIL | |
| 14 | KINGDOM | KIN + G + DOM | |
| 18 | European (white) nightbirds | ASIO | (Occ)ASIO(nally); Collins has Asio otus under “long-eared owl” |
| 19 | CHÂTEAU | CHA + TEA + U | |
| 20 | HAAF | F after HAA(r) | |
| 21 | SLAG | GALS < | |
| 23 | ETNA | ANTE < | |
| 26 | BEDRID | BED + RID | |
| 27 | Get (kiss) in | LIE DOWN | (WILD ONE) * |
| 29 | ALPACA | (PACK ANIMAL) * − MINK * | |
| 31 | ANANAS | AN + AN + A + S(ummer) | |
| 32 | LICHI | (alcoho)LIC HI(ghball) | |
| 34 | nerve (pills) easing | LENDS | (S(ister’s) D(aily) N(erve) E(asing) L(ethargy)) < |
| 35 | IOTAS | (O’ + TA) in IS | |
| 37 | ERGS | 2 meanings | |
| 38 | English (yellow) reed | OBOE | BO in OE |