Jumbo 961 – Picnicking with Rudesheimer – a monologue in three parts!

Author   fathippy2Posted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
Quite liked this one as there were a few nice clues along the way. Big tick for 47D for cluing the wordplay and definition entirely with cricketing “terms”. A few non standard anagrams, with constructed content, some nice lift and separates, and misleading surfaces. One big query on 33D but fully expect a D’oh moment as someone explains the obvious that I have missed. All in all a thumbs up here.

Across
1 SKIFF – SKI=runner, F=following, F=female, for the boat. .
4 BUSTS UP – Nice little surface here with “separates” being the straight definition, and the cheeky description of what a bra does being the slightly cryptic one. Works well because “separates” can mean underwear also (I think!)
8 CATECHISM – A TECH IS = a school is, all inside C(lassroo)M, definition instruction.
13 AFFLUENCE – (UNCLE AFFE)*, AFFE = half afffected, wicked=anagrind, definition wealth. This is a constructed anagrist where you need to add some words or parts of words together to get the target letters. Often you get some words plus a single letter such as M(edium), or O(ver) to finish off. Whilst on the face of it this looks like a more clever ploy, it perhaps makes it easier to clue certain difficult anagrams which dont readily break into easy words?
14 TRANS-SIBERIAN – ART reversed then (BRAINLESS)* for the railway
15 CHALDEE – L(earner) in CHAD=african country, then E(rudit)E, for the ancient language, which I did not know, but the word play was clear enough.
16 RESOLED – (OR LEEDS)*. It is almost impossible to see Oxford in a crossword these days without thinking “shoe” and nine times out of ten that is the usage! Becoming a bit of a chestnut…
17 GRANADA – GRANDA(d) = relative, briefly, around A, for the Spanish city
18 SICK TO THE BACK TEETH – Weak cryptic-ish clue, which I dont quite get, apart from the presence of the word TEETH. It does the job of getting you the answer, but can you say “Dear Dentist, I have a sick to the back teeth” or “I am sick to the back teeth” – perhaps in kiddy speak. I will let it go because of the question mark!
21 TOPI – &lit. I put on TOP=head. Whole is the “sun” helmet
23 UNIFORMED – double def. Wearing special clothes, and made (FORMED) near Cambridge (UNI), with the question mark excusing the def by example. That makes two cheeky question marks in the last three clues!
25 TENDON – continue to treat = TEND ON
26 MARSHA – MARS=spoils, H=husband, then A(nniversary). Def = woman. I am always concerned about the use of arbitrary first names as answers, as it is a seemingly endless list. Is there a cut off point for what can be taken as “well known”? And does that set include new style names like Duwayne, or LaShawn ??
28 DIRECT ACTION – DIRE=terrible, T(ime) in CACTI=plants, ON=dealing with, def = strikes, say. A nice concise surface, with a lot of word play in a limited amount of words. That sort of thing always impresses me.
30 HIPPODROME – HIP=in, POD=school, ROME=capital. Something which has always caught me out is when “non-words” like conjunctions contribute to the wordplay. Here we have “in” giving HIP, others to look out for include “a” giving PER or even ARTICLE, and even “and” itself.
33 IMPRUDENCE – R=either end of revolver, in IMPUDENCE=mouth.
34 POINT OF ORDER – Not seen this version of the monk/ORDER chestnut. Its normally “out of order” but this one is much better!
37 CUBISM – CUB=inexperienced person, IS, M(ark) for the art school/movement
39 OFFING – GO=move, around NIFF=smell, all reversed, for the “area of the sea”. Even though this is a common word, I had no idea of the maritime meaning, apparently it refers to the part visible from the shore.
40 WASTELAND – WAS=used to be, T(eeming), ELAND=antelope, for the barren region
42 NOOK – OK=fine, after ON reversing, def corner
43 ROLLING IN THE AISLES – soundalike to ROLLING (rich) in the ISLES (hebrides being an example thereof)
46 ORDINAL – First being an example of one, hence “maybe”. DIN=commotion inside ORAL=exam
47 EXCITER – (ERETIC)* = headless heretic as the anagrist, around X for the cross. Definition is “he’ll cause a stir”.
48 ANTIQUE – TIQUE sounds like TEAK, with A N=note in front.
50 ANIMADVERSION – ANI= in “a” reversed, MAD=unsound, VERSION=translation. Whole is Criticism.
51 ON THE BEAM – EXPENSIVE=dear, EX=former partner, having left.
52 TREASURER – T(urn), REAR=back, around SURE=safe, for the financial expert.
53 GEEZERS – sounds like GEYSERS
54 SENOR – hidden in gibraltaR ONE Swoons (backwards) for the spanish man perhaps.

Down
1 SNATCH SQUAD – NATCH=of course, inside SS=ship, then QUAD=bike, I had not heard of a “Snatch Squad” but it was a fairly obvious name for some arresting officers.
2 INFRA – hidden in certaIN FRAgments, def=below.
3 FOUNDATION COURSE – (EDUCATION FOR US)* around ON=available, semi &lit with “that” being the answer.
4 BENNETT – NETT = clear, beneath BEN = someone such as Jonson, for the novelist.
5 SPEARHEAD – (HE PARADES)* for the point
6 SATISFACTION – SATIE’S (french composer) less (piec)E, FACTION=group, giving pleasure as the whole.
7 PEARLY KING – A RLY = a railway, through PEKING=city, for the east end symbol. RLY is slightly more obscure than the usual RY, but pops up now and again.
8 CASED – C(h)A(p)S (h)E(a)D
9 TAILGATE – TAIL sounds like tale=story, GATE=those attending. Def = closely follow
10 CRETAN – CRE(w) = gang, dropping with, TAN=effect of suns rays
11 IMITATORS – (MO(net) ARTISTI(c))* bent is the anagrind. Another composite anagrist, with two partial words only.
12 MANDARINATE – MANDATE=instruction, around AR = RA(regiment) backwards, IN=home. The whole are the top officials.
19 CHIRRUP – CH=church, I RR= 1 bishop, UP= posted. Nice surface effect with “posted a tweet” for the more modern among us.
20 ETONIAN – I NOTE (see) reversed, A, N(ew). Def=pupil
22 WARDROBE MISTRESS – Cryptic definition, although not a common phrase, so even knowing what I was looking for, took some checkers to work out.
24 MEANER – MEAN(d)ER, wind the verb rather than noun, without the D for daughter.
27 SPROGS – S=singular, PROGS=TV broadcasts, whole is “kids”
29 TACTFUL – ACT=operation, (FLU)* with T=temperature high, meaning on the top. Def = delicate.
31 ODDBALL – O=ring DD=matching diamonds, BALL=social event. Whole is strange.
32 LONG DISTANCE – (NOTED SCALING)* anagrind is rocks
33 INCONSONANT – IN + CONSONANT=letter, definition is strange though as it suggests the opposite. I know well by now that if ever I think the setter has made a mistake I am clearly mistaken myself, but after much thought I cant understand this one. Any help?
35 RUDESHEIMER – SHE=female, I, ME, inside RUDER=coarser, for the wine. Not a word I knew so needed wordplay to get it.
36 PICNICKING – NICKING=taking, PIC=photo, beforehand, for the outdoor eating.
38 BROADSIDE – BROAD = american woman, on SIDE = team, for the whole = stick
40 WATERHOLE – A TER(m) = short period, inside WHOLE=complete. Def = depression, where one drinks.
41 BOWL OVER – BOW LOVER = archery enthusiast. Definition is wow, as in the verb.
44 ERASTUS – ERAS = times, (journalis)T, US=american, def = theologian. Nice lift and separate with the times journalist!
45 ANZACS – A SCAN = study, reversed around Z=unknown for the antipodean soldiers.
47 ERROR – E(ssex) , RRR = several runs, with O=nought, caught. Definition is slip. Good surface, since every single constituent has a cricket double. Even the indicative words “opener” and “caught”, and the definition “slip”! Great!!
49 QUEEN – Couldnt be anything else, but not sure what the exact reference is? Owl & the pussycat ?? Often is !

2 comments on “Jumbo 961 – Picnicking with Rudesheimer – a monologue in three parts!”

  1. 29:31 for me. Looking back over this one, I’m not sure why it took me so long, but there was a lot of clever stuff in there.

    I think “separates” normally refers to blouse and skirt, but I can’t see any reason why it shouldn’t refer to underwear, particularly if contrasted with “combinations”.

    I initially assumed that “rarely” in 33dn referred to the rare usage (I can’t remember coming across it before), but that doesn’t seem to be supported by any of the dictionaries I have access to.

    “Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been?”
    “I’ve been to London to visit the queen.”

  2. I seem to have dozed off at some point, thus making timing impossible, but no doubt it took me a while.I put in ‘costume mistress’ at 22d, and that made for a lengthy delay in solving the three acrosses. And I forgot SPROGS, a word I knew only because it showed up once in a cryptic, so I was stumped on 27d. I wondered about INCONSONANT, too, but just assumed that ‘rarely’ meant, indeed, rarely.

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