Listener Crossword 4828: Solution Notes
Mass Medium by Stick Insect
Puzzle explanation
The corrections to misprints spelt out “chef Auguste, philosophe René, auteur Sully, violoncelliste Paul”, indicating (in French) the names to be highlighted: ESCOFFIER, DESCARTES, PRUDHOMME, TORTELIER. The highlighting included half of each cell divided by a diagonal bar and formed the shape of MM (for which puzzle’s title was a hint) for Messieurs, a group of Frenchmen. Additionally, MM in Roman numerals and the entry GREEN at 45ac referred to this puzzle as the 2000th Listener crossword to be marked by the Listener statistician John Green.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Misprint | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| 1 | (C)rew | CABAL | CA + BAL |
| 5 | (H)ock | CANNON | N in CANON |
| 9 | fle(E) | BOLT | (Sym)BOL T(hat) |
| 12 | o(F) | ALACK | A + LACK |
| 13 | gr(A)in | SAMP | S(train) + AMP |
| 14 | red(U)ction | REDOX | REDO + X |
| 16 | (G)uilt | PECCANT | PEC + CANT |
| 17 | r(U)led | KHEDIVE | K + ED in HIVE |
| 18 | (S)our | OFF-KEY | OFF + KEY |
| 20 | par(T) | CHOICE | (Jeri)CHO I CE(lebrated) |
| 22 | rac(E) | STEM | (sy)STEM |
| 23 | cu(P) | ROSIE LEE | (I SEE ROLE) * |
| 24 | (H)aving | SERFDOM | (FOR MEDS) * |
| 26 | b(I)g | MOTOROLA | MOTOR + (s)OLA(r) |
| 29 | Dea(L)s | ACCORDS | AC + CORD + S |
| 30 | Sc(O)t’s | TOURIE | IE after TOUR |
| 31 | A(S)ians | THAIS | (e)T(c)H (p)A(t)I(o)S |
| 33 | Fo(O)l | SHMO | SO around HM |
| 35 | Ri(P) | TEAR | TAR around (voyag)E |
| 36 | (H)ere | NEMEA | E in MANE * |
| 37 | tal(E) | GENESIS | GENE + SIS |
| 40 | Forme(R) | PHO | 2 meanings |
| 43 | Hu(E) | RUCTION | RUN around CO around IT < |
| 44 | La(N)d | GEOLOGER | (O + LOG) in GREE(n) *; ref. 45ac |
| 45 | n(E)w | GREEN | GREE + (frustratio)N |
| 46 | se(A)l | OAKUM | OAK + (l)UM(p) |
| 47 | s(U)ede | NAPA | NAP + A |
| 48 | (T)urns | WHIRRS | W + H(ave) I(ntense) R(eaction) R(ecurring) S(odium) |
| 49 | d(E)cked | DRESSED UP | DR + (SUE SPED) * |
| Down | |||
| 1 | Sno(U)t | CAPORAL | CA + P + ORAL |
| 2 | bee(R) | ALE | A + LE |
| 3 | pa(S)t | BACKFISCH | BACK + C in FISH |
| 4 | (U)p | ACCELEROMETER | (LET MCENROE CARE) * − N |
| 5 | e(L)lipses | CONIC SECTIONS | C + ONIONS around (I + C + SECT) |
| 6 | (L)ove | ASTARTE | R in (A STATE) |
| 7 | enem(Y) | NARC | CRAN(e) < |
| 8 | (V)iper | OPHIOMORPHOUS | (OR PUSH OHIO MOP) * |
| 9 | t(I)mes | BEDE | BED + E |
| 10 | (O)des | ODIST | (TO IDS) * |
| 11 | p(L)easant | LOVELIER | LIE in (LOVE + R) |
| 15 | S(O)me | XEMA | AMEX < |
| 19 | ru(N)s | YEEDS | YE + ED + ’S |
| 21 | (C)all | COME IN | ME in COIN |
| 25 | Mar(E) | FOAL | FO(rm)AL |
| 27 | (L)owering | TO THE BONE | (HE BENT TOO) * |
| 28 | stree(L) | ROAM | homophone of ROME |
| 32 | Med(I)c | SATRAP | S(ip) + A + TRAP |
| 34 | (S)alix | OSIER | ((Louv)RE IS O(verrated)) < |
| 37 | ma(T)ure | GROW | (buildin)G + ROW |
| 38 | tr(E)e | EUGH | G in HUE < |
| 39 | Jim(P)y | SNOD | DONS < |
| 40 | Sm(A)ll | PEKE | PEE around K |
| 41 | Prote(U)ses | OLMS | (Stockh)OLM S(cientists) |
| 42 | mi(L)d | EGAD | AGED * |