I solved this at a leisurely pace on the banks of Ullswater on a sunny but blustery May morning. Standard Jumbo fare I’d say.
First in was DICKINSON and last was the tricky BOARDING PASS.
If any of my explanations don’t make sense then feel free to ask for further elucidation. Unless there’s a particular reason to explain the definition I assume that any unknowns can be resolved with a dictionary check or internet search.
The technical stuff:
Clues are in blue (unless you’re in dark mode) with the definition underlined. Anagram indicators are in bold italics.
Notation:
DD: Double definition
CD: Cryptic definition
DDCDH: DD/CD hybrid where a straight definition is combined with a cryptic hint.
&Lit: “all in one” where the entire clue is both definition and wordplay.
(fodder)* denotes an anagram of the letters in the brackets.
Rounded brackets are also used to add further clarity
Squiggly brackets {} indicate parts of a word not used
Deletions are struck out
Square brackets [] expand an abbreviation or shortening like M[ass]
| Across | |
| 1 | Richard at home with child and American poet (9) |
| DICKINSON – DICK, IN, SON | |
| 6 | Girl group about to be entertained by bad actor (5) |
| HAREM – RE in HAM | |
| 9 | Set sail towards south-east, invading Indian territory (2,2,3) |
| GO TO SEA – TO S[outh] E[ast] in GOA | |
| 13 | Stop antagonistic French inspector getting decapitated (5) |
| AVERT – jAVERT. If it’s not Clouseau then it has to be Javert from Hugo’s Les Miserables. | |
| 14 | California sailor missing at Arthur’s Seat? (7) |
| CAMELOT – CA[lifornia], MatELOT | |
| 15 | Spread stone on buttress (9) |
| PROPAGATE – AGATE on PROP | |
| 16 | Recognise air conditioning geek overturning shelf (11) |
| ACKNOWLEDGE – A[ir] C[onditioning], WONK reversed, LEDGE | |
| 17 | Vegetable we put in sink before shower (5,6) |
| SWEET PEPPER – WE in SET (as in sun), PEPPER | |
| 18 | Mineral found in farm building’s floor (6) |
| STOREY – ORE in STY | |
| 19 | Go without military clothing in speech? (8) |
| FORSWEAR – sounds like FORCE WEAR | |
| 21 | Loads of old sponges perhaps abandoned by front of loo (6) |
| OCEANS – O[ld], CLEANS withou L{oo} | |
| 25 | Comment on year in Italian art gallery (8) |
| ANNOTATE – ANNO (year in Italian), TATE | |
| 26 | Hold up — connoisseur’s edited novel (8,6) |
| ROBINSON CRUSOE – ROB, (connoisseur)* | |
| 28 | Church guarded by boy with added spirit? (5) |
| LACED – C[hurch of] E[ngland] in LAD | |
| 29 | Unlawful activity close to Florida peninsula (6) |
| CRIMEA – CRIME, {Florid}A | |
| 30 | Bold sort of artist failing to get going after dawn (10) |
| ADVENTURER – {d}URER after ADVENT | |
| 33 | Noble, suppressing a small scream, produces toy weapon (10) |
| PEASHOOTER – PEER around A S[mall] HOOT | |
| 35 | Heartless official’s predicament (6) |
| CORNER – CORoNER | |
| 36 | Music producer, extremely snobby, with advanced degree? (5) |
| SYNTH – S{nobb}Y, NTH (as in degree, for example) | |
| 38 | Murder suspect colludes with matron for a change (7,7) |
| COLONEL MUSTARD – (colludes matron)*. From Cluedo, or Clue as the Americans call it, but what do they know? They call Lego “Legos”. | |
| 40 | Abandons Pixar film and prepares for operation (6,2) |
| SCRUBS UP – SCRUBS = abandons, UP is an animated movie (the one with the old man’s house and a lot of balloons). | |
| 42 | Delivered two letters later (3,3) |
| SEE YOU – Sounds like C U. | |
| 43 | I announced ship’s paint (8) |
| EYELINER – Homophone of I then LINER | |
| 44 | Explicit broadcast’s finale shown in full (6) |
| STATED – {broadcas}T in SATED | |
| 47 | Pardons unruly prisoners for arguments? (4,3,4) |
| PROS AND CONS – (pardons)*, CONS | |
| 50 | New GP getting mixed up with heart and eye treatment (4,7) |
| GENE THERAPY – (N[ew] GP heart eye)* | |
| 52 | Foreign article admitting I’m naive? A shade! (4,5) |
| LIME GREEN – I’m in LE, GREEN | |
| 53 | Lay a floor cover by westbound French road (7) |
| AMATEUR – A MAT, reversal of RUE | |
| 54 | Additional relative skips Mass (5) |
| OTHER – MOTHER without M[ass] | |
| 55 | Mostly bad-tempered in reflective street clothes (1-6) |
| T-SHIRTS – SHIRT{y} in ST[reet] reversed | |
| 56 | Costly car parts picked up (5) |
| ROLLS – sounds like ROLES, short for ROLLS-ROYCE. Costly? Well, a used 2022 Phantom will you you back north of 350 grand, guv’nor. | |
| 57 | Store reportedly helps to make pens (9) |
| STOCKADES – STOCK then homophone of AIDS | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Plays dumb at first with Hindu deity (5) |
| DRAMA – D{umb}, RAMA | |
| 2 | Arrest fool following tip in Berlin landmark (10,7) |
| CHECKPOINT CHARLIE – CHECK, CHARLIE following POINT. I fancy I wasn’t alone in trying to make a landmark that could have been anywhere beginning with B. A case of not lifting and separating. | |
| 3 | International rambler and rock enthusiast is retiring (11) |
| INTROVERTED – INT[ernational], ROVER, TED (Dorset Jimbo would have been delighted to see TED clued by something a little kinder than “delinquent”). | |
| 4 | Twisted edges of large cutting tool (6) |
| SICKLE – SICK, L{arg}E | |
| 5 | Pardon me starting to brag about famous connections (4-4) |
| NAME-DROP – (pardon me)*. I don’t think I’ve seen starting as an anagram indicator before but I guess it works if you think of it as moving suddenly or springing loose. | |
| 6 | Streaker seen regularly in hospital passageways to arrive on time? (7,5) |
| HALLEY’S COMET – H[ospital], ALLEYS, COME, T[ime] | |
| 7 | Device for cooking Indian bread’s run short (10) |
| ROTISSERIE – ROTI’S, SERIEs | |
| 8 | Wooden leg mostly underneath chart (5) |
| MAPLE – LE{g} under MAP | |
| 9 | Presenter with temperature wearing dress in deserted location (5,4) |
| GHOST TOWN – HOST T[emperature] in GOWN. Specials earworm anyone? | |
| 10 | Start decree spreading proprietary information (5,6) |
| TRADE SECRET – (start decree)* | |
| 11 | Rascal to swindle leader of Poland (5) |
| SCAMP – SCAM, P{oland} | |
| 12 | Noodle dish dropping right on American god (4-2) |
| AMEN-RA – RAMEN with the R[ight] moved down, A[merican] | |
| 18 | Fixes cutting room for low rate? (6,4) |
| SNAIL’S PACE – NAILS in SPACE | |
| 20 | Hotel guest to dislike carrying passport, say (8) |
| RESIDENT – RESENT around I.D. | |
| 22 | Without conditions, like useless guitar? (2,7,8) |
| NO STRINGS ATTACHED – DDCDH | |
| 23 | Plaster company supports upcoming reductions (6) |
| STUCCO – CO[mpany] under CUTS reversed | |
| 24 | She briefly appeared, dancing with a certain figure (4-6) |
| PEAR-SHAPED – (sh{e} appeared)* | |
| 27 | Adjust movement from The Planets, no longer having quiet after loud one (4-4) |
| FINE-TUNE – NEPTUNE without P[iano] (quiet) after F[orte] I | |
| 31 | Running nicer hotel is better (6) |
| ENRICH – (nicer)* H[otel] | |
| 32 | Flying must upset pigs’ and swine’s eating (8,4) |
| BOARDING PASS – (pigs and)* in BOAR’S. Flying must as in a must for flying. I think the ‘s in swine’s is doing double duty here. | |
| 34 | Sweetheart to hassle animal (5,6) |
| HONEY BADGER – basic charade. The honey badger, or ratel, is partial to a bit of aggro. | |
| 36 | Transport part of gun — it may be needed in court (11) |
| SHUTTLECOCK – SHUTTLE, COCK | |
| 37 | Second lock put on delivery for comfort in anxiety (6,4) |
| STRESS BALL – S[econd], TRESS, BALL | |
| 39 | A strip found below plumber’s second washer (9) |
| LAUNDRESS – A UNDRESS under {p}L{umber} | |
| 41 | Enthusiasm almost sent knees trembling (8) |
| KEENNESS – (sen{t} knees)* | |
| 45 | Tech company beginning to trial program (6) |
| APPLET – APPLE, T{rial} | |
| 46 | Sound system seen within austere office (6) |
| STEREO – hidden | |
| 48 | Energy of ducks on speed (5) |
| OOMPH – O, O, M[iles] Per] H[our] | |
| 49 | Proprietor’s wife entering US city from the south (5) |
| OWNER – W[ife] in recersal of RENO | |
| 51 | Some money preserves site of battle (5) |
| YPRES – another hidden | |
FOI 1ac LOI 18ac. Is a sty a building? Is a harem a group of girls? I couldn’t tell you the name of any Pixar film, even ones I’ve seen, if I have.
Pig sties count as farm buildings. They include open areas but also have enclosed shelter.
A harem is accommodation but the word can also be applied to the group of women / girls who occupy it.
I had some queries noted for the puzzle but they all became clear on revisiting this morning.
Thanks. Yes my note suggested this was med/easy (relative to jumbo cryptics!) and “pretty good”!
And hardly any (yellow or red) cards 😁
– Didn’t know DICKINSON the poet
– I’m ignorant enough of Les Miserables to not know Javert, but AVERT was clear enough
– Scrubs=abandons for SCRUBS UP doesn’t seem like a perfect equivalence for me, but I guess it’s close enough
No other issues. Thanks Penfold and setter.
COD Pros and cons
24:19. I found this mostly quite easy but very tricky in a few parts.
NHO Javert: I haven’t read Les Miserables and you’d have to pay me quite a lot of money to watch the musical.
I agree with you that BOARDING PASS doesn’t work.
No complaints here! Boarding Pass took a bit of thought but seems fair. I also struggled with Rotisserie but eventually saw the light.
Really liked Force-Wear and Introverted. I was thinking of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and only just now recognised the 1950’s meaning.
A very rare and welcome compete correct solve, so much thanks to the setter and the blogger for parsing those that went over my head- FINE-TUNE for example. Very pleasant, very pleased!