Hello again. I solved this jumbo en route to the Championships, a fortnight ago, in the (forlorn) hope that it would sharpen me up for the crosswords to come. There, I was told that it was set by Richard Rogan, which did not surprise me. It is a fine effort, on the harder side, with a lot of good clues, some quite convoluted, and no duffers, never an easy thing in a jumbo with 60+ clues. For me 43ac was a standout COD, because I love animals and am just an old softy these days. Study all these clues though, for you will not often see better..
Please, do feel free to ask questions or comment as required.
I use the standard conventions like underlining the definition, CD for cryptic definition, DD for a double one, *(anargsam) and so forth. Nho = “not heard of” and in case of need the Glossary is always handy
| Across | |
| 1 | Orpheus finally coming to Stygian realm — in Ray-Bans? (6) |
| SHADES – (Orpheu)S + Hades, the realm where the river styx is. Ray-Bans are a brand of sunglasses affected by such as Mr Tom Cruise. | |
| 5 | Your writer writes in crimson — not green (7) |
| RIPENED – I PEN (your writer writes) inside RED. | |
| 9 | Distinct character’s island god embracing holy work (8) |
| IDENTITY – I, + NT (holy work, ie the New Testament) in DEITY. | |
| 13 | Old mark used in complex cash agreement with China for currency control (8,4,9) |
| EXCHANGE RATE MECHANISM – so, this is EX (old), + M(ark) in *(CASH AGREEMENT + CHINA) I think. I will take Richard’s word for it, but it certainly looks kosher. | |
| 14 | Literary composition on page — very small piece? (8) |
| PARTICLE – P(age) + ARTICLE, a composition. Which may be more, or less, literary. | |
| 15 | Bone from three in the reckoning? (7) |
| STERNUM – TERN (three) in SUM, reckoning. Collins says of tern: “Rare: a group of three.” I would say very rare, meself. The OED has no quotation from the 20th century, never mind the current one. | |
| 16 | Duck, then another ancient Briton saves for cat (6) |
| OCELOT – O, plus another O in CELT, an ancient Briton | |
| 17 | Means to wipe material linked with online pest (6,4) |
| TOILET ROLL – TOILE “a transparent linen or cotton fabric” + TROLL, an online pest. | |
| 20 | In the cooking dad was all for this culinary classic (7,5) |
| WALDORF SALAD – *(DAD WAS ALL FOR) | |
| 23 | Murphy from south meeting reflective Unionists (4) |
| SPUD – S(outh) + DUP rev. | |
| 24 | Airport dispute dogging former PM (8) |
| HEATHROW – HEATH (Edward, PM 1970-74) + ROW, dispute. | |
| 26 | Ring through often on such personal extensions? (8) |
| EARLOBES – Just a cryptic CD I think? Or a DD, at a push.. | |
| 29 | Isn’t that Tatum FBI agent’s arrested? Or Craven? (5-7) |
| FAINT-HEARTED – Hm, well I see the FED, an FBI agent. Inside it we have AINT HE ART, “Isn’t that Tatum?” Arthur Tatum Jr was a jazz pianist, highly regarded it seems. | |
| 30 | Appearance of fast current — no going back (10) |
| EXPRESSION – EXPRESS (fast) + I (electrical current) + ON, ie no, rev. I’m sure there is a planet somewhere, where expression and appearance are synonyms. | |
| 32 | Comedy at last in two sections provides amusing turn (5,5) |
| PARTY PIECE – (comed)Y, in PART and PIECE, two sections. A fine, neat clue, this. | |
| 34 | Reward — our men earn it corruptly (12) |
| REMUNERATION – *(OUR MEN EARN IT). Also very neat! | |
| 36 | Revealing source, legendary Swiss thanks the French (8) |
| TELLTALE – TELL (William, he of the overture) + TA (thanks) + LE, French for “the.” | |
| 38 | Engineer’s instrument is one that’s not working (8) |
| ORGANISE – ORGAN (instrument) + IS + (on)E, one without the working/on. Another very neat clue! | |
| 39 | Said to be in power shower (4) |
| RAIN – sounds like “reign,” to be in power.. | |
| 41 | One standing in for royal pair, earnest man discharging seconds (6,6) |
| PRINCE REGENT – PR (pair) + (s)INCERE GENT (earnest man, without the S). Not a very good definition, since every prince regent I’ve ever come across would be royally miffed, if you said he wasn’t royal.. | |
| 43 | Free hotel in secure enclosure close to town? That’s an old chestnut! (10) |
| COPENHAGEN – What an interesting clue! It is OPEN + H(otel), inside CAGE + (tow)N. As for the definition, I hope and pray it is a reference to one of the great horses of the world, the Duke of Wellington’s horse Copenhagen, who was indeed a chestnut stallion.
I can’t even imagine what it must be like to carry a man around on your back, calmly, for 17 hours through the midst of one of the bloodiest battles in recent history. Read the link, which tells you a lot about the duke, as well as about Copenhagen.. |
|
| 44 | American inventor’s instinct about protecting little girl (6) |
| EDISON – DI, in this context a little girl, though I doubt if her royal highness would thank you, inside NOSE (instinct) reversed. | |
| 46 | Fireplace feature inlaid with nickel and stone (7) |
| GRANITE – NI (nickel) inside GRATE, a fireplace feature, unless you have finally woken up and installed a woodburner… | |
| 48 | Branch specialised in launching carpeting line (8) |
| ROCKETRY – ROCKET (carpeting) + RY (line). Another lovely, neat clue.. | |
| 50 | Male in great metropolis accommodates writer following fire in research centre (6,6,9) |
| ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY – This was much easier to solve than it is to parse! I think it is A TOM (a male) + I (in), then ENERGY (fire) and AUTHOR (writer) inside CITY (metropolis). Phew! | |
| 51 | Unbeatable on new wicket that turns, covered loosely (8) |
| BESTREWN – BEST (unbeatable) + RE (on) + N(ew) W(icket) rev. | |
| 52 | Ray and Henry escaping village near Tokyo once (7) |
| TORPEDO – Well, I think this must be T(h)ORP EDO, because a torpedo is a kind of ray, a thorp is a small village, and Edo is what Tokyo was once called, as all we Zen Buddhists know. Still that’s quite an esoteric clue, isn’t it? | |
| 53 | Onegin, for one, in central Greece throttling upper-class dope (6) |
| EUGENE – U(pper class) + GEN (dope) inside (gr)EE(ce). | |
| Down | |
| 2 | Why we don’t start with an ascendant animal? (5) |
| HYENA – (w)HY + (w)E + AN rev. | |
| 3 | Dance technique never succeeded with fellow in plant (11) |
| DICOTYLEDON – DI(s)CO (s)TYLE (dance technique with no S(ucceeded)s ) + DON a fellow. If you understand the Wikipedia explanation of dicotyledons, you are more botanical than I am.. | |
| 4 | Tom perhaps in Ascot agitated, somewhat abrupt in bars? (8) |
| STACCATO – CAT, in *(ASCOT). Nice def. | |
| 5 | Mischievous journey up Parisian street is entertaining (5) |
| ROGUE – OG (go, ie journey, up) in RUE, a Parisian street. | |
| 6 | Country girl in Reading? (7) |
| PERUSAL – PERU (country) + SAL, a girl. | |
| 7 | Woman’s experience after capture is hell (11) |
| NETHERWORLD – NET (capture) + HER WORLD, a woman’s experience. | |
| 8 | Twinkling in private room reveals Screwtape, say (5) |
| DEMON – MO, a twinkling, in DEN, a private room. I should have heard of Screwtape, but hadn’t, but guessed correctly.. | |
| 9 | Trouble means covering for government department (9) |
| INCOMMODE – MOD (government dept) in INCOME, means. | |
| 10 | Inspiration displayed by punter at Oaks (5) |
| ERATO – hidden, as above, our favourite muse. | |
| 11 | Flash damaged a port initially set for obsolete browser? (11) |
| TRICERATOPS – TRICE (a flash) + *(A PORT) + S(et). “Obsolete” is quite a mild term for something extinct for 60 million years or more | |
| 12 | Having rolled a lofty pitch, test results in draw (7) |
| TOMBOLA – reversed, A LOB (lofty pitch) and MOT, a test. What church fetes do to pretend they aren’t gambling. | |
| 18 | Gold leaf walls in Chinese family home (9) |
| ORPHANAGE – HAN (Chinese family) on OR (gold) + PAGE, a leaf. | |
| 19 | Love goddess hosting a function (7) |
| OPERATE – PER (a, as in “one per year”) inside O (love) and ATE, a goddess, the Greek personification of delusion, recklessness and folly. She must be having a busy time, just now.. | |
| 21 | More vulgar chap appropriating grand language (3,6) |
| LOW GERMAN – G(rand) in LOWER MAN, who is presumably more vulgar.. | |
| 22 | Voluntarily avoids having worries about planet (8) |
| FORBEARS – ORB (planet) in FEARS, worries | |
| 25 | Othello for example right — heartless loser crushed (5,4) |
| TITLE ROLE – TITLE (right) + *(LO(s)ER) | |
| 27 | With online scam over, tightwad endlessly cut spending (9) |
| ECONOMISE – E CON (online scam) + O(ver) + MISE(r), an endless tightwad. | |
| 28 | Hearty pie and mash prepared — time to tuck in (8) |
| SHIPMATE – T(ime) in *(PIE + MASH). A hearty as in “Ahoy, me hearties” | |
| 31 | Dutchman’s pipe in long drain (7) |
| PINESAP – PINE (long) + SAP (drain). “Monotropa hypopitys, the so-called Dutchman’s pipe, false beech-drops, pinesap, or yellow bird’s-nest,” according to Wikipedia. Nho of course, but it is not uninteresting, in being a herb with no chlorophyll. | |
| 33 | Bent investigator? (6,5) |
| TALENT SCOUT – A CD, playing on two very different meanings of “bent.” | |
| 34 | Conservative having to fix pain, taking hour outside (5-6) |
| RIGHT-WINGER – RIG (fix) + TWINGE (pain) in H(ou)R | |
| 35 | Hostile Republican consumed in obsession (11) |
| THREATENING – R(epublican) + EATEN (consumed) in THING, an obsession. | |
| 37 | Ivy for one always the ingenue? (9) |
| EVERGREEN – EVER GREEN, always the ingenue, geddit? | |
| 40 | A relative skipping one grips point in narrative (8) |
| ANECDOTE – DOT (point) in A NE(i)CE, a relative skipping one | |
| 42 | Beam in relief having risen in rank (7) |
| RADIATE – AID (relief) rev. in RATE, to rank | |
| 43 | Burn body of old woman found in Minoans’ island (7) |
| CREMATE – MA (old woman) in CRETE, the Minoans’ island. | |
| 45 | Interference with signal in northern French department? (5) |
| NOISE – N OISE, which is indeed a Northern French department, in Picardy. | |
| 47 | Native Alaskan beer presented without head (5) |
| ALEUT – ALE (beer) + (p)UT, presented. Nho Aleuts, but I had heard of the Aleutian islands so not much of a stretch. Some are Alaskan, and some are Russian. | |
| 48 | Relationship over with call for sailor’s attention? (5) |
| RATIO – “OI TAR” reversed, I guess. | |
| 49 | Material about to be ignored in youngster’s drawer (5) |
| RAYON – (c)RAYON, what a youngster may draw with, less the C. | |
Too many obscurities here for me to find this particularly enjoyable e.g. TORPEDO – it’s almost worse in a way to have an answer but not understand either the definition or wordplay than to be missing the answer completely.
ALEUT was another one. And COPENHAGEN where at a push one might be expected to know the name of Wellington’s horse, but its colour? Really?
And DICOTYLEDON. I note you had an advantage on that one, Jerry, as it was in a Jumbo you blogged in 2021. I didn’t mention it in my comment that day, I assume because I found it easier to construct from an anagram clue rather than the IKEA job required here. Its only other appearance was in a Friday 15×15 in 2020, also clued as an anagram.
Yes, definitely on the harder side. Though you don’t really need to know Copenhagen was a chestnut – I didn’t – just to realise that chestnut could mean horse .. I thought “pinesap” was a tad unfair.
As for dicotyledon, I see I linked to the Wiki article both times; in 2021 I thought it interesting, but this time I found it hard to understand. Oh dear!
Yes, PINESAP was another one. I forgot to mention it.
I learned ‘dicotyledon’ in the 8th grade, it’s different from a monocotyledon (well, duh). Not, of course, that I have the slightest idea what they are.
Ah but you will do Kevin, when you’ve read the article 🙂
Read the article? When I feel the need to know more about dicotyledons, I’ll know who to turn to.
Ooh, there we do differ. I can’t learn enough new stuff.
I did this on an aeroplane trip a couple of weeks ago, and ended up with many blanks. I usually can get 95% of a Jumbo in an hour or so, but not this one. I feel relieved that although there were many I should have got, Eg ALEUT, PARTICLE, BESTREWN. There were many I would never have got (no google on planes) such as COPENHAGEN or that Dinosaur beginning with D, or PINESAP.
Some great clues, so no complaints. My favourites: ROCKETRY, EARLOBES and WALDORF SALAD.
Top blogging BTW.
50a I believe is TOM (male) inside AI (great), then the rest.
Thanks for the blog!
Well, this one wasn’t set by Richard Rogan, but that’s probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said about anything I’ve produced.
Thanks Jerry!
Oh, well, my pleasure! … pretty sure Nick Hodgkin said both crosswords on finals day were by RR.
Just tried this one this morning because of seeing the blog, finished in 1 hour 46 but spelt Dicotyledon with the e and y the wrong way round. Several words I didn’t know but all fairly clued I thought.
Harder, I’d imagine, to be consistent over 60 clues, but this compiler has managed it. A pleasant, interesting and on occasion rather chewy solve. More of these please.
Bunged the (nho) PINESAP from the clue and crossers, but it’s not in Chambers so decidedly iffy in my view.
I note it was said recently it’s the setter’s aim to lose gracefully. Well with ALEUT, TORPEDO and COPENHAGEN to name but 3 which I think are very unfair, he certainly didn’t lose gracefully to me. If I never see another crossword from this setter I won’t be too sorry.
Torpedo perhaps but the other two were virtual write-ins and darn good clues to boot
One of the best jumbos we’ve had for a while IMO