This one initially looked fairly easy, but after I’d completed the top and bottom few rows and the left-hand side, I slowed down considerably, with a final solving time of 23 minutes. I’m blaming too many late nights!
As jerrywh recently commented, these days puzzles tend to have a high proportion of cryptic definitions and double definitions, and Jumbo 974 certainly fell into that category.
| Across |
| 1 |
RAP ARTIST – (orde)R A PART IST(uneless). A somewhat scathing reference to rap, I thought! |
| 6 |
SALT AND PEPPER – double definition |
| 13 |
DENIM – MINED (reversed) |
| 14 |
FLAGELLUM – FLAG + MULLE(d) (reversed). A FLAGELLUM is the organ a bacterium uses to swim with |
| 15 |
LEG SPIN – single* around P. Nice to get the obligatory cricketing clue out of the way early! |
| 16 |
CHARACTER ASSASSINATION – double definition |
| 18 |
IN EFFECT – FF = really strong (musically), + EC = (European) Community, in I (symbol for electrical current) + NET. The first “Really” defines IN EFFECT. |
| 20 |
WHEATEAR – HEAT, in WEAR = river (“flower”) |
| 21 |
RHINO – double definition – RHINO is slang for money |
| 23 |
NIACIN – CAIN (reversed) + IN |
| 24 |
RAGOUT – RAG + OUT |
| 25 |
RUSTY NAIL – (truly a sin)* |
| 28 |
STEAK DIANE – SANE = all there, around (screening) TEAK + DI |
| 29 |
ONUS – ON + US |
| 30 |
LIP READ – cryptic definition |
| 32 |
AT FIRST – (start if)* |
| 34 |
BEER – BE(tt)ER |
| 35 |
EMANCIPATE – EMANATE, including PIC (reversed) |
| 38 |
SPEEDWELL – double definition |
| 39 |
INTERN – IN (just received) + TERN |
| 40 |
DIWALI – DIAL around (= masking) W, + I |
| 43 |
OILER – (b)OILER = old chicken. OILER = oil well |
| 45 |
RABIDITY – RAY around BID + IT |
| 47 |
RHODESIA – RHODES + I + A |
| 49 |
IN ONE EAR AND OUT THE OTHER – double definition |
| 52 |
ELITISM – (e limits)* |
| 53 |
SHIVERING – HIVER (French for winter) in SING |
| 54 |
EXTRA – EX, + ART(reversed) |
| 55 |
LIGHT INFANTRY – (flirt anything)* |
| 56 |
THE STICKS – T (last letter of contract) + HE + TICKS |
| Down |
| 1 |
REDUCTION – ED (editor) in RUCTION |
| 2 |
PANCAKE RACE – cryptic definition |
| 3 |
RUMBA – (c)RUMB + A |
| 4 |
INFOTECH – (Often chi)* |
| 5 |
TEA URN – (nature)*, &lit |
| 6 |
PREP SCHOOL – REP’S + CH (Companion of Honour), in POOL |
| 7 |
PULL A FAST ONE – double definition |
| 8 |
EN MASSE – (men)* + ASS + E (first letter of enemies) |
| 9 |
ALL-IN WRESTLING – cryptic definition (all in = exhausted) |
| 10 |
DOG STAR – double definition |
| 11 |
APPROXIMATE – A P (= penny, tiny amount of money), + PRO = paid (professional), + XI = team (of eleven), + MATE |
| 12 |
TINY – (spen)T IN Y(out) |
| 17 |
COOLIDGE – (I + LO) reversed, in CODGE(r) |
| 19 |
FLICKERED – LICKER in FED |
| 22 |
CANNIBAL – NIB in CANAL |
| 25 |
ROSEMARY – ROSE + MARY |
| 26 |
YUPPIFIED – YUP + PI (= good) + FIE(l)D. I think I’d have put quotes round improved, as well as using the question-mark! |
| 27 |
LITTLE GREEN MEN – LITTLE = minute, + GREEN = part, plus first letters of Mayfair everyone notices |
| 28 |
SNAPSHOT – SNAP + SHOT |
| 31 |
PERIODONTIST – PERIOD + ON + T + IS + T |
| 33 |
FREELANCING – F + (in general)* round C |
| 36 |
ANAESTHETIC – (it’s a ten each)* |
| 37 |
STATIONERY – still being discussed indicates something that sounds like stationary (still) |
| 41 |
IN ARREARS – rani(reversed), + REAR + S |
| 42 |
THE HAGUE – TUE(sday) = day, around HE + HAG |
| 44 |
RUN RIOT – RUNT round RIO |
| 46 |
BARISTA – IS in ART in BA |
| 48 |
STRICT – TRIC(k) in ST |
| 50 |
OVERT – OVER + T |
| 51 |
HEEL – double definition |
Most Memorable Answer (for all the wrong reasons) 27dn LITTLE GREEN MEN – all because of a controversial highlighting requirement in a Listener puzzle a few years ago. Not that it bothered me, as I got it right 🙂
I’ve just looked it up – Hunt by Samuel, from Feb 2007.