Not too difficult but as I begin to write my blog I have three answers where I have no idea of wordplay (edit – now sorted) and one answer where I think the setter has not accounted for a valid alternative spelling.
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]. “Aural wordplay” is in quotation marks. I now use a Caret sign ⁁ to indicate an insertion point in containment clues. I usually omit all reference to juxtaposition indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
 Across |
|
|---|---|
| 1 | Very naughty boy admitting deed arrived with large animal (8,5) |
| BACTRIAN CAMEL – B⁁RIAN (very naughty boy) containing [admitting] ACT (deed), then CAME (arrived), L (large). “He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy” – Monty Python’s Life of Brian. | |
| 8 | Renaissance work, perhaps in red, almost ruined (3,6) |
| OLD MASTER – Anagram [ruined] of RED ALMOST | |
| 13 | Attract agency employee with training at first (5) |
| TEMPT – TEMP (agency employee), T{raining} [at first] | |
| 14 | Disputes in short stories about Poe’s visitor (11) |
| CONTRAVENES – CONT⁁ES (short stories) containing [about] RAVEN (Poe’s visitor). The Raven is a famous poem by Edgar Allen Poe. | |
| 15 | Golden openings for athletes using roids in competition (5) |
| AURIC – A{thletes} + U{sing} + R{oids} + I{n} + C{ompetition} [openings for…] | |
| 16 | Clear behind, go higher still at bridge (9) |
| OVERTRUMP – OVERT (clear), RUMP (behind) | |
| 17 | Mythical creature doing away with king’s charge (4) |
| TOLL – T{r}OLL (mythical creature) [doing away with king] | |
| 18 | Hard boarding transport in Hannibal’s birthplace (8) |
| CARTHAGE – H (hard) contained by [boarding] CART⁁AGE (transport) | |
| 20 | Indiana university beset by dull element (6) |
| INDIUM – IN (Indiana), then U (university) contained [beset] by DI⁁M (dull) | |
| 21 | Show for workers a month before vacuous redeployment (9,7) |
| PROMENADE CONCERT – PRO (for), MEN (workers), A, DEC (month), ONCE (before), R{edeploymen}T [vacuous] | |
| 24 | Anticyclone comes down in mountainous region (9) |
| HIGHLANDS – HIGH (anticyclone), LANDS (comes down) | |
| 26 | Country roads run back past a club (7) |
| ARSENAL – A, then LANES (country roads) + R (run) reversed [back] | |
| 27 | Elevated construction beginning to bend in strong wind (5) |
| GABLE – B{end} [beginning to…] contained by [in] GA⁁LE (strong wind) | |
| 29 | Head reads this attractive copy following tutor’s lead (8,4) |
| MAGNETIC TAPE – MAGNETIC (attractive), T{utor’s} [lead], APE (copy) | |
| 31 | Idiots returned to northern satellite city (3,7) |
| SAN ANTONIO – NANAS (idiots) reversed [returned], TO, N (northern), IO (satellite – a moon of Jupiter) | |
| 33 | Grant for one when time right, no longer missing news? (10) |
| ASTROLOGER – AS (when), T (time), R (right), {n}O LO{n}GER [missing news]. I suspect many will be baffled by the reference, but consider yourselves lucky if you have never heard of Russell Grant. | |
| 35 | What some tunnellers hope to do — get by (4,4,4) |
| MAKE ENDS MEET – A cryptic hint supports the main definition. | |
| 38 | Father possessed by little island demon (5) |
| AFRIT – FR (father) contained [possessed] by A⁁IT (little island). I’m not sure I knew this word, or if I did, I thought it meant something else. | |
| 39 | Plant, originally found on isle, brought into factory (7) |
| MILFOIL – F{ound} + O{n} + I{sle} [originally] contained by [brought into] MIL⁁L (factory). Another unknown to me but it’s related to the yarrow. | |
| 40 | Crustacean’s tongue, shortened, thrust out briefly (9) |
| LANGOUSTE – LANG (tongue, shortened – abbreviation of language), OUSTE{d} (thrust out) [briefly] The spiny lobster. | |
| 42 | Sadly, Hyades’ daughters repeatedly align with the potential killer (6,10) |
| DEADLY NIGHTSHADE – Anagram [sadly] of HYADES DD (daughters repeatedly) ALIGN THE | |
| 44 | With pen this writer reported snooker (6) |
| STYMIE – STY (pen), then aural wordplay [reported] MIE / “me” (this writer). Impede. I understand ‘stymie’ is used in golf. It can also be spelt STIMIE, and since the third letter is unchecked in the grid there may be a case for STIMIE being a valid alternative answer to the clue in which case the the homophone would apply to both elements of wordplay, not just the second. | |
| 47 | Briton greatly amused around Champagne periodically (8) |
| WELSHMAN – SLEW (greatly amused) reversed [around], {C}H{a}M{p}A{g}N{e} [periodically]. Collins: slay – slang to impress or amuse greatly. |
|
| 49 | Punters here in catastrophe where credit withdrawn (4) |
| ISIS – (cr}ISIS (catastrophe) [credit withdrawn]. The River Isis is the Thames as it passes through Oxford where punting is a delightful way to view some of the sights of the City. | |
| 50 | Instruction to sell red troops tanks (4,5) |
| STOP ORDER – Anagram [tanks] of RED TROOPS. Something in stock market trading. | |
| 52 | Temperature in medicine bottle necessary to life (5) |
| VITAL – T (temperature) contained by [in] VI⁁AL (medicine bottle) | |
| 53 | Plain craft rivalled UFO (3-8) |
| ILL-FAVOURED – Anagram [craft] of RIVALLED UFO. Unattractive in looks. |
|
| 54 | Freezing in panic in Gdansk (5) |
| ICING – Hidden [in] {pan}IC IN G{dansk} | |
| 55 | Choked as fish went bad (9) |
| GARROTTED – GAR (fish), ROTTED (went bad) | |
| 56 | Reluctant speaker’s ambition: not to exaggerate? (2,3,3,5) |
| TO SAY THE LEAST – Once again a cryptic hint supports the main definition. | |
| Down |
|
|---|---|
| 1 | Magmatic rock in house on fire in Somerset location (9) |
| BATHOLITH – HO (house) + LIT (on fire) contained by [in] BAT⁁H (Somerset location) | |
| 2 | Endorse business millions put back together (7) |
| COMMEND – CO (business), M (millions), MEND (put back together) | |
| 3 | Informer at Oxford University damaging end of satellite dish (11) |
| RATATOUILLE – RAT (informer), AT, OU (Oxford University), ILL (damaging), {satellit}E [end of…] | |
| 4 | Authority surrounding vineyard to increase due to natural growth (6) |
| ACCRUE – AC⁁E (authority – expert) containing [surrounding] CRU (vineyard) | |
| 5 | Plots from prisoners in steeple — on the contrary (9) |
| CONSPIRES – The first part of wordplay gives us CONS (prisoners) contained by [in] SPIRE (steeple), but “on the contrary” turns this inside-out: SPIRE (steeple) contained by [in] CON⁁S (prisoners) | |
| 6 | Range Patschke initially displayed in warped materialism (8,4) |
| MARITIME ALPS – P{atschke} [initially] contained by [displayed in] anagram [warped] of MATERIALISM | |
| 7 | Beauty forsaken keeping cool (10) |
| LOVELINESS – LOVELESS (forsaken) containing [keeping] IN (cool – popular, trendy) | |
| 8 | Beastly noise reason tattooist must stop? (4) |
| OINK – 0 INK (reason tattooist must stop) | |
| 9 | In which an education is not nearly completed? (8,8) |
| DISTANCE LEARNING – Cryptic | |
| 10 | At sea stop son boarding a vessel (5) |
| AVAST – S (son) contained by [boarding] A + VAT (vessel) | |
| 11 | Viscous mixture doubled energy in sauce (7) |
| TARTARE – TAR + TAR (viscous mixture) [doubled], E (energy) | |
| 12 | What large wave did affected stable situation (6,3,4) |
| ROCKED THE BOAT – Another cryptic hint precedes… | |
| 19 | Toothless mammal in garden, say, hiding head (8) |
| EDENTATE – EDEN (garden), {s}TATE (say) [hiding head] | |
| 22 | Darkness close — close to what? (5) |
| NIGHT – NIGH (close), {wha}T [close to…] | |
| 23 | Militant on Severn dressed in green (16) |
| ENVIRONMENTALIST – Anagram [dressed] of MILITANT ON SEVERN | |
| 25 | Joker — nameless criminal? (7) |
| GAGSTER – GA{n}GSTER (criminal) [nameless] | |
| 28 | Prohibits importing German sausages (7) |
| BANGERS – BAN⁁S (prohibits) containing [importing] GER (German) | |
| 29 | Basic meal Mike gave to wanted criminal (4,3,3,3) |
| MEAT AND TWO VEG – Anagram [criminal] of M (Mike) GAVE TO WANTED | |
| 30 | Old and insensitive sort probing the unknown doctrine (8) |
| THEOLOGY – O (old) + LOG (insensitive sort) contained by [probing] THE + Y (unknown) | |
| 32 | Have control over photographic session? (4,3,5) |
| CALL THE SHOTS – Cryptic | |
| 34 | Based on eight nil cup thrashing, Arsenal largely sticking to starters (5) |
| OCTAL – 0 (nil), then C{up} + T{hrashing} + A{rsenal} + L{argely} [sticking to starters] | |
| 36 | Leave tense work outside of Oklahoma, as Wild West policy may have been (5-2-4) |
| SHOOT-TO-KILL – SHOO (leave!), T (tense), then T⁁ILL (work) containing [outside of] OK (Oklahoma) | |
| 37 | Terriers following lead of spaniels, interrupting happy Crufts hopeful? (10) |
| CONTESTANT – S{paniels} [lead of…] + TA (Terriers – Territorial Army) contained by [interrupting] CONTE⁁NT (happy) | |
| 40 | Deceived royal seduced by swan Romeo kept in check (3,6) |
| LED ASTRAY – LEDA (royal seduced by swan – myth), then R (Romeo) contained by [kept in] STAY (check) | |
| 41 | Get a load of Tories to tour British plant (9) |
| EYEBRIGHT – EYE (get a load of – look at) + RIGHT (Tories) containing [to tour] B (British) | |
| 43 | Celebrated learner astral cast welcomes (3-4) |
| ALL-STAR – Anagram [cast] of ASTRAL contains [welcomes] L (learner) | |
| 45 | Wine produced by Middle Eastern country endlessly (7) |
| MADEIRA – MADE (produced), IRA{n} (Middle Eastern country) [endlessly] | |
| 46 | Who had moved seat on jumbo? (6) |
| HOWDAH – Anagram [moved] of WHO HAD. The usually ornate seat sometimes attached to the back of an elephant. | |
| 48 | What’s below zero? Anyone there? (5) |
| HELLO – HELL (what’s below), 0 (zero) | |
| 51 | Force was in van in Split (4) |
| FLED – F (force), LED (was in van) | |
DNF
NHO BATHOLITH, no idea of what locations are to be found in Somerset. I also NHO Russell Grant, but didn’t need to. Pretty straightforward otherwise.
At 50ac I did not have STOP ORDER. The anagram fodder gave me SPOT ORDER, which is also “something in stock market trading”. Where are the umpires when we need them
Quite tricky in places, and I had ASTRONOMER. I couldn’t parse it, of course, but I assumed that the mentioned Grant must be an eminent scientist I hadn’t heard of.
I also had spot order. A stop order can be to buy as well as to sell as can a spot order. If it were a championship puzzle- I think it would be hard to argue that spot order didn’t fit the clue as well.
The argument would presumably be that the phrase doesn’t appear in any of the usual dictionaries. I’ve never heard it either, although I would understand it to mean an order for a spot trade.
(PS I acknowledge that it does seem to be a phrase that is in use in financial markets)
Luckily I’d never heard of a SPOT ORDER and had heard of Russell Grant. ILL-FAVOURED for “plain” was new to me as was BATHOLITH, but the wordplay was clear for both. LOI FLED. About 34 minutes in the bar at my Premier Inn in St. Helier on the real paper paper. Thanks Jackkt and setter.
1d guaranteed that I would not finish this unaided. Also didn’t understand either bit of 14a,
Never heard of nanas at 31a or Leda at 40d and needed the explanations to understand “greatly amused” at 47a.
I think that using terrier to indicate the letters TA is well past retirement age. Also, does “green” still mean “environmentalist”? Seems the Green Party has lots of other more pressing concerns, though perhaps I’m being too cynical.
Favourite: 9d
Least favourite: 33a.
Thank you for the blog.
Thank you Jackkt for the explanations. Your mention of Russell Grant gave me a laugh!
We found this mostly easy, but there were some sticky patches. Plenty of amusing clues, like “To say the least” or “Make ends meet”, and off to a flying start with a Monty Python reference in 1A. Also I thought “Distance learning” was rather neat.
Not so keen on the arcane words like Edentate, and I thought Slew was a bit of a stretch.