Times Jumbo 826 (Sat 25 July 2009)

* = anagram < = reversed

ACROSS
1 P (A PER CH) AINS Very tricky with excellent misdirection. Made to look like an anagram of “with care” perch = pole (old imperial measurement = 5 and a half yards).
7 WAR RAN TABLE
13 SHOELACES Cryptic definition – Oxford is a type of shoe
14 AT TRACT (TA)<
15 KNOUT “Nowt”
16 O PEN ER
17 DR ((h)OLLER) Y
18 RUN DOWN Double definition
20 THROW (Chuck) ONE’S WEIGHT (several stones) A BOUT
23 STU (DE) NT Ed<
24 foresT AN AGE R
26 H (YDR) ANT (dry)*
28 GO BY
29 LA (ST GAS)P pal<
32 INTERFACE (a frenetic)* &lit
35 M (A U SOLE) UM
36 SENT (h)ENCE
37 A RA(c) K
38 RIDE OUT ie ride = (dire)*
41 L (A MP) OON
44 SC (special constable) OFFER
45 SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA (desolate so campaign to)* It’s in Spain.
49 AL(l) CO (H) OL
50 R (ACE CAR) D
51 APPEAR Appeal with r for l (right for left – change of direction)
53 TON UP
54 OR (DIN) AL ordinal numbers, first, second etc.
55 CURTSEYED (yet cursed)*
56 GROUNDS WELL
57 SILLY SEASON ie season = (one ass)*

DOWN
1 P ASTOR The first lady MP to take her seat in the House of Commons, I think.
2 P (ROME THE US B) OUND A drama from Ancient Greece.
3 ROLLED OVER Double definition.
4 (t)HICK
5 INSUR(e) GENT
6 SWALLOW From nursery rhyme, how absurd the old lady was to swallow a bird (eg a swallow)
7 W.I THE RING (Wagner)
8 READ Y ready = money
9 A F (TERM) A(i)TH
10 TAKING ORDERS Double definition
11 BLOWOUT Ditto
12 EX TENT
19 PORT VALE (farewell) Team from the fourth tier of English football.
21 HEROIN E (ecstasy)
22 STREAKER (treks are)* definition from ‘barely’
23 S (A GAM) ORE gam = lady’s leg. Chief (American Indians)
25 NE (A R) S(t)
27 A PAIR OF BLUE EYES Thomas Hardy novel.
30 TIME (36 is SENTENCE) LAG (prisoner)
31 PONG O
33 TUCK-SHOP last letter of butterscotch in (stock up)*
34 GODOWN THE (P) AN
38 TOOTHPASTE (the potato’s)*
40 T (RILL I) ONS
42 ME (DICIN’)AL
43 NUM ERIC AL
45 SECOND Organ
46 COCKLES From the expression “warm the cockles of your heart”, I think.
47 RAG TAG
48 CRUDE N Of Cruden’s Concordance
50 RID(G)E G = capital of Germany definition = land up
52 TROY Sergeant Troy from Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd and Troy where the Greeks left the Wooden Horse.