Time: Just over three hours. It seemed like quite a tough one.
I loved the ‘lift and separate’ at 12d – a really excellent clue. My COD.
Apologies for the late posting, by the way, I quite forgot about it!
cd = cryptic def., dd = double def., rev = reversal, homophones are written in quotes, anagrams as (–)*, and removals like this
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | BAD DEBT = B + ADD + (BET)* |
| 5 | TI(BE)TAN + S |
| 9 | HOT + DOG – I liked ‘Very close to finding’ = HOT |
| 13 | WI(THO)NE + FELL’S + WO + OP – I do not like thee, Dr Fell is a well-known rhyme by Tom Brown. |
| 14 | RED + “C” |
| 16 | COMB + O |
| 17 | OIL-RICH – cd. That’s ‘rolling’ as in ‘rolling in money’, only this is rolling in barrels of oil |
| 18 | IC(EL + AND + I)C |
| 19 | SET + E(YES)ON |
| 21 | DO + UGH + T |
| 22 | REIGN = “RAIN” |
| 23 | WIRED – dd |
| 25 | ANDROMEDA = A + DEMO + R + DNA all rev |
| 27 | UNCLEAR = NUCLEAR with the N moved back one position |
| 29 | NEW + SPA + PER = Novel / well / a |
| 31 | OPTIONAL EXTRA = (AT EXPLORATION)* |
| 34 | A + GREET + O(DI)FFER |
| 35 | DIE + TITIAN |
| 37 | YOLK-SAC – rev hidden |
| 39 | STRING PEA = (GET PARSNI |
| 42 | THO + RN – THO = ‘However (small)’ and RN = ‘main force’. Nice misleading clue. |
| 43 | UP + FOR |
| 45 | RI(M)LE’S + S |
| 47 | LILY-WHITE = (LITHE WILY)* – Only two letters need moving in this anagram |
| 49 | IN(CONC |
| 50 | HACK + I + NG – That’s HACK = ‘deal with’ as in ‘I just can’t hack it any more’ |
| 52 | S |
| 54 | ET AL + ON – Et al. is an abbreviation for et alii, latin for ‘and others’, ON is a switch position (as opposed to OFF), and an ETALON is a transparent plate with two reflecting surfaces otherwise known as a Fabry-Pérot interferometer. |
| 55 | FIRST + PAST + THE POST |
| 56 | TISANE = IT rev + SANE. It = vermouth, as in gin-and-it. Sane = ‘all there’. Tisane is an infusion like a herbal tea. |
| 57 | DUTY + FREE = What must be done / to deliver |
| 58 | RIDDLER = Puzzle setter. Also a riddle is a type of sieve, which only fine material will pass through. |
| Down | |
| 1 | BE + WICK + SS + WAN |
| 2 | DA(TU)M |
| 3 | ECONOMY – rev hidden |
| 4 | THE HOUSE AT POOH CORNER = (THEOSOPHER + AUTHOR ONCE)* – A children’s book by A. A. Milne |
| 5 | T + RE(E)LINED – I didn’t think it was permissible to adjust the capitalisation just to fit the surface. But then, I guess the rules get relaxed a little in the Jumbo. |
| 6 | BALTI |
| 7 | TOWN HOUSE = (HOW NOT)* + USE – I liked this one. The natural surface leads you to expect a cd of some sort. |
| 8 | NEOLITH = (ONE)* + LIT + H |
| 10 | O + PEN AIR |
| 11 | DIS + |
| 12 | GRAN + CAN + ARIA – ‘Female producer of pop’ = GRAN. That had me chuckling for ages. Love it. |
| 15 | SEE YOU LATER ALLIGATOR – cd – I guess the snappy response would be ‘In a while, crocodile’ |
| 20 | T(HR)OWER – To shy means to throw as in a coconut shy |
| 21 | DROP-OFF – I interpreted this as a triple def – Fall / crash (as in sleep) / delivery |
| 24 | DEPRESS = PE rev in DRESS – Being ‘in a dress’ would be unsuitably attired for the gym. |
| 26 | AVOID – I think this parses as A (first-rate) + VOID (without stuffing) |
| 28 | CHE + MIST |
| 30 |
|
| 32 | TYRANTS = S |
| 33 | TRIPOLI = TRIP (high time, presumably drug-indiced) + OIL with the I advanced one place |
| 34 | AS YOU LIKE IT = |
| 36 | NON SEQUITUR = NUR (National Union of Railwaymen) about (QUESTION)* |
| 38 | LIFE + CLASS |
| 40 | R(YEW+H)ISKY |
| 41 | PALLIASSE = “PALLY ASS” – a thin straw mattress |
| 44 | RUN + DOWN – ‘Single’ = RUN is today’s cricket reference |
| 46 | MATH + IE + U |
| 48 | WESTEND = SEW rev + TEND |
| 51 | C + APER |
| 53 | ATOLL – cd – A key is an island as in the Florida Keys, and an atoll is a ring-shaped coral island |
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