This was
another fine puzzle from Phi. The three-letter entries in the radio snippets gave the
message “MARTIANS HAVE LANDED”. The
unclued entries were 11 FORT, 17 WATERSHED and 29 down HOWL which gave “the
programme broadcast”. This is an anagram of The War of the Worlds, which Orson
Welles famously broadcast 70 years ago on Halloween 1938. In the first part of
the play a musical variety programme was interrupted by news bulletins of a
Martian invasion. Finally 7 entries had either an E added or an E omitted,
referring to the two creative forces behind the broadcast, H G Wells, the
author, and Orson Welles, the producer. Their names had to be entered in the
box at the foot of the grid.
SNIPPETS
Letter mixtures are underlined in the
clues, definitions in parentheses.
4 ... notes hacking in a scrum, missed
by referee ... (8) MUS(MAR)IC (notes)
1dn ... latest showers in West are clearing ... (7) NE(TIA)WS (latest)
20 ... tense situation for PM, Hansard reports ... (8) DR(NSH)AMA (tense
situation)
6 ... what proves to be a splendid play ... (8) SP(AVE)ORT (play)
14 ... in the final Act, Fafnir engages in dubious dealings ... (10)
TRAF(LAN)FIC (dealings)
34 ... buses on diversion come through Edward the Eighth Avenue ... (10)
WEAT(DED)HER (come through)
ACROSS
Alterations in answers are shown in
parentheses.
1 Want noise no longer echoing? (3)
NE(E)D DEEN reversed
12 Looking on Scottish individual in English Government (5)
EYING YIN in E + G
13 News of backing for examination submission (5)
FOLIO OIL (news) + OF (reversed)
15 Restraint generally vile, having heartless nature (4)
GYVE G(enerall)Y V(il)E
16 Study market analysis (4)
SWOT 2 definitions
18 Near the wind no longer - really, no longer? (5)
AHOLD AH! + OLD
21 Article found in small creatures and large creatures (6)
TITANS AN in TITS
23 Drying peat turning rough? Not any more (7)
WINDROW WIND (turning) + ROW (rough, obsolete)
26 Pork delicacies not initially provided? They wouldn't do you any good! (7)
ROTTERS (T)ROTTERS
27 Attending fewest lectures? That is absorbing lecturer (6)
IDLEST L (lecturer) in ID EST
28 America backed radicals dismissing all irrational figures (5)
SURDS US (reversed) + R(a)DS less A (all)
29 Army section coming in close to objective? (4)
HOST S in HOT
31 Local soaks start to withdraw from bad beer (4)
SIP(E)S SWIPES (bad beer) less W(ithdraw)
35 Wave power, according to some, is quantity of power that's direct (5)
WHELM W (watt!) + HELM (direct)
36 Bloke's a dull fellow, lacking love and spurning drink (5)
BRETT B(o)RE less O (love) + TT (teetotal)
37 Sheep consuming fat in about 24 hours (8, two words)
SOLAR DAY LARD in SOAY
38 Some medicine is enough, after a small change (3)
DOS(E) DOES (is enough)
DOWN
2 Wildcat strike's ending with resolution in Ayr? (4)
EYRA Anagram AYR + E (strikE)
3 What could be said along lines in the grid? (9)
DIAGONALS Anagram SAID ALONG
5 Threatening month without leader, limiting Government (4)
UGLY G in (J)ULY
7 Piece's a lot curtailed (4)
MAN(E) MAN(y)
8 Assails gendarme entering behind first of suspects (8)
AFFLICTS FLIC in AFT + S(uspects)
9 French King fixes to spurn English revels (6)
ROISTS ROI + S(e)TS less E(nglish)
10 Colombia imprisoning opposing figure quickly (4)
CITO IT in CO
11 See preamble (4) FORT
17 See preamble (9) WATERSHED
19 Coat with end removed kept out of sight (4)
HI(E)D HID(E)
21 Dowdiest, tatty, but having a second aspect? (8)
TWO-SIDED Anagram DOWDIEST
22 Doctor (Seuss) character turning up here? (4)
NERD DR + EN reversed (Dr Seuss is credited with this name): &lit?
24 Old fools receiving unit of education in classes (7)
ASSORTS ASSOTS containing R (ref. the 3 Rs)
25 Relation about mound of debris - deliver it again? (6)
RETELL TEL in REL.
29 See preamble (4) HOWL
30 Lines from tablets translator overlooked (4)
OCH(E)S TROCHES less TR
31 Look up recipe, tucking into food (4)
STAR(E) R (recipe) in EATS reversed
32 American mammal, black, hiding in quantity of coal (4)
PEBA B in PEA
33 Former combatant getting round ban (4)
VETO VET + O