Listener Crossword 4831: Solution Notes
Free-for-all by Toffee
Puzzle explanation
The letters omitted from wordplay in the unnumbered clues spelt THOUSANDTH PARKRUN and the path drawn through them in the grid depicted the route for the run in BUSHY PARK (highlighted), which was held for the 1000th time on 13 August 2024, the puzzle’s publication date. The extra words in numbered clues were the names of other UK parkruns: Portobello, Inverness (now superseded by Torvean), Albert, Nobles, Oxford, March, Ayr, Nonsuch. Their initials formed the song title PIANO MAN, by Billy Joel, which starts with “It’s nine o’clock on a Saturday”, the standard parkrun start time.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Extra word | Answer (unclued letter) | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unnumbered | |||
| AFLOA(T) | O in ALFA < | ||
| GREENIS(H) | (SINGER + E) * | ||
| UNC(O)RK | (fla)N(ker) in RUCK * | ||
| HA(U)SA | HA(m) around (A + S) | ||
| (S)ARI | A(mo)R(in)I | ||
| ONE-D(A)Y | O + (D + YEN) * | ||
| DA(N)ISH | DISH around A(ustria) | ||
| (D)OES | SEO < | ||
| CARO(T)ENE | CANE around ROE | ||
| AP(H)ORISM | A + PRISM around O | ||
| O(P)AH | (N)OAH | ||
| (A)XED | X + ED | ||
| NEPE(R) | P in NÉE | ||
| ANORA(K) | (Siberi)AN OR A(rctic); ref. 21dn | ||
| FIVE(R)S | FIVES | ||
| (U)TENSIL | SILENT * | ||
| O(N) END | ((ol)D NEO(classical)) < | ||
| Across | |||
| 1 | Inverness | NATIONAL CODE | (CALEDONIAN + T(histle) + O) * |
| 6 | EXEMPT | EX (Exodus) + EMPT(y) | |
| 7 | MANIA | MA around ANI | |
| 9 | Albert | PEEK | P + KEE(n) < |
| 10 | EDITH | EDIT + H | |
| 12 | COOMB | O in COMB | |
| 13 | INSTANT | ISN’T * around TAN | |
| 15 | LOGGER | FLOGGER − F | |
| 16 | GNEISS | homophone of NICE | |
| 23 | ASPIRATE | OYSTERS aspirated = homophone of HOISTERS | |
| 24 | Nonsuch | ARAR | A(nothe)R + A(nothe)R |
| 25 | TEASE | PROTEASE − PRO | |
| 26 | WASHINGTONIA | WALLONIA with THINGS * for LL | |
| Down | |||
| 2 | TEEING | (guaran)TEEING | |
| 3 | ACHING | A + CHIN + (le)G(al) | |
| 4 | March | ONION | UNION with (honch)O for first letter |
| 5 | DISMISSAL | DIAL around (S + MISS) | |
| 8 | AMBUSH | HAM * around SUB < | |
| 11 | HARK | SHARK − S | |
| 13 | IONIAN SEA | (ASININE + O/A) * | |
| 14 | Ayr | TEA | TEAM − M |
| 17 | Nobles | ANN | ANON − O |
| 18 | STRAIN | S + ART < + IN | |
| 19 | Oxford | DIURON | DON around (RI < around U) |
| 20 | TEPAS | PASTE * | |
| 21 | PARKA | PAR + KA | |
| 22 | HENT | HE + NT | |