Listener Crossword 4937: Solution Notes
Candidate by Check
Puzzle explanation
In row order, the first letters of extra words spelt out “Richard Bachman” (an alias of Stephen King), who wrote the novel The Running Man, and the last letters gave “Schwarzenegger”, the actor who starred in the film. The extra letters in wordplay spelt “both ends of across clues, grid order”. Taking the first and last letters of the across clues in grid order gave “Oxford’s Iffley Road track; highlight person and work”. Roger Bannister ran the first mile under four minutes at the Iffley Road track on 6 May 1954. From the initially-filled grid (shown here, including vertical bars), row 3 was rearranged into SUB-FOUR MILE and row 12 to NEUROLOGIST, which was Bannister’s later career. BANNISTER and THE RUNNING MAN, partly overlapping, were then highlighted.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
| No | Extra word | Answer | Explanation [extra letter] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||
| AGUISE | [B]IS in AGUE | ||
| ARRACK | (s)[O]AR + (c)RACK | ||
| nicer | BEDYES | (SEEDY + B(ars)) * | |
| highbrow | ENTIA | (G)ENT I A(dmire) | |
| base | EO NOMINE | ONE * + O’ + MINE | |
| FIBROUS | FIBS around ROU[T] | ||
| FRORN | [H]ORN after FR | ||
| hiding | GUSLI | GUS(t) + (shop)LI(fter) | |
| arena | HABANERAS | H + A + BAN(n)ER + AS | |
| HERMIT | ((d)EM(o) + TH[E]IR) * | ||
| ITEMS | (u)[N]ITES around M | ||
| ditz | MAGISTER | (GETS A (p)RIM(e)) * | |
| cash | MULE | MOLE with U(nlimited) for O | |
| idiotic | NAG | (i)N(-l)A(w) + G | |
| airman | OLD | (b)OLD | |
| culture | PANTRYMAN | PARTY * around N + MAN | |
| rights | SPASMS | SP + MASS * | |
| STY | STU[D]Y − (cl)U(es) | ||
| SURGEON | URGE[S] in SON(g) | ||
| abuse | TAO | T(urn) A(gainst) O(saka) | |
| reader | TEENTY | TEE + N + T(olkien) Y(our) | |
| mag | TOIL | (é)TOIL(e) | |
| Down | |||
| 1 | INFECTS | (NICE + S[O]FT) * | |
| 2 | TAI | [F]IAT < | |
| 3 | MARIA | (I’ + A) after MA[A]R | |
| 4 | STOA | (northwe)ST [C]OA(st) | |
| 5 | SHURA | UR in SHA[R](p) | |
| 6 | ARMLESS | ARS around M[O]LES | |
| 7 | SMUT | ’S + MU[S]T | |
| 8 | STEM | SY[S]TEM − (Wemble)Y | |
| 9 | ILL AT EASE | [C]ELESTIAL * around A | |
| 10 | SUNNING | [L]ING after (N + NUS) < | |
| 11 | THE END | T[U] + HEED around N | |
| 12 | DESOLATOR | (TO + R) after (DEA around SOL[E]) | |
| 13 | TAMARAS | [S]AMARA in T(asteles)S | |
| 14 | STEINS | STIN[G]S around E | |
| 15 | OUTPLAY | (Gr)OU(ps) + PALT[R]Y * | |
| 16 | GET IN ON | (MIN[I]ON − M) after G(u)E(s)T(s) | |
| 17 | YOUKS | ([D]UO in SKY) < | |
| 18 | AUGER | ([O]UR GAME) * − M | |
| 19 | STAB | BA[R]T’S < | |
| 20 | BIRD | [D]IR in BD | |
| 21 | GRAF | (FAR + [E]G) < | |
| 22 | OAR | [R]OAR | |