A pleasant slightly trickier than average Jumbo cryptic solved on paper in about 55 minutes around Sunday breakfast at my daughter’s in Malton. From the wordplay I liked the “show for cissies” best, but also the “river sandpiper” and “team fixed matches”. WOD, though goes to the great OMNISHAMBLES. Thank-you entertaining setter. How did you all get on?
[Update as I give the blog a final edit – when checking where I had seen OMNISHAMBLES before I found it was in the same Jumbo, No 1655, from Jan. 2024 where I had seen KIT CARSON…. and only then spotted that this whole crossword is a copy of that one! I could have saved myself some work to referring directly to Kitty’s blog!]
[Further update: I emailed Mick Hodgkin the Puzzles about this and he replied saying it was an unfortunate slip as a consequence of not having had access to any of Richard Rogan’s files after his death. This was a puzzle the setter thought had not appeared and Jason didn’t realise it had already run under Richard’s tenure. ]
Definitions underlined in bold italics, (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc, {deletions} and [] other indicators.
| Across | |
| 1 | Something slimy in effect left sink needing an overhaul? (9) |
| GASTROPOD – DO (effect) PORT (left on a ship) SAG (sink) all reversed [needing an overhaul]. | |
| 6 | Reused manuscript is in France: father stumbles on it (10) |
| PALIMPSEST – PA (father) LIMPS (stumbles) EST (is in French). | |
| 12 | Terrible chap covering Queen in North American band (7) |
| NIRVANA – A double inclusion. R (Regina; queen) in IVAN (… the terrible; terrible chap) all in NA (North American). | |
| 13 | Assembled vehicles working for frontiersman (3,6) |
| KIT CARSON – KIT CARS (assembled vehicles) ON (working). I only knew the frontiersman (read about him here) from this previous Jumbo puzzle in January 2024. | |
| 14 | Scum, something on lip quaffing last of beer (5) |
| TRASH – [last of] beeR in TASH (something on lip). | |
| 16 | Whoops, squeezing retired primates tight! (12) |
| CHEESEPARING – APES (primates) [retiring] -> SEPA, in CHEERING (whoops). | |
| 17 | Cultural learning of a Republican politician I’m referring to (3,7) |
| ART HISTORY – A R (Republican) THIS TORY (politician I’m referring to). | |
| 19 | Best picture? (2,4,2,2,4) |
| AS GOOD AS IT GETS – Double definition. The film referred to is this 1997 romantic comedy. | |
| 22 | One living on Crete, say, smearing on fourth of lotion (8) |
| ISLANDER – Fourth letter of lotIon, SLANDER (smearing). | |
| 24 | Tool removing lids, one facing fresh cherries? (6) |
| OPENER – Double definition, the second referring to a cricket new ball being described as a “fresh cherry”. | |
| 25 | Scale mountain finally, a ridge etc formed around it (10) |
| CENTIGRADE – Last letter of mountaiN in (a ridge etc)* [formed]. | |
| 26 | Capital vessel remains (5) |
| TUNIS – TUN (large cask; vessel) IS (remains). | |
| 29 | Handsome orderly (4) |
| TIDY – Double definition. Our late blogger The Rotter had a useful rule of thumb, “If a clue is just two words it is likely to be a double definition”…. like this clue. | |
| 30 | Some cat-sit or pet-sit, returning lower life forms (8) |
| PROTISTA – Reverse hidden in cAT-SIT OR Pet-set. | |
| 32 | How to scrabble after change for character in police box? (6,3) |
| DOCTOR WHO – DOCTOR (change) (how)* [to scrabble]. | |
| 34 | Undemanding, see, show for cissies? (3-6) |
| LOW-IMPACT – LO (see) WIMP ACT (show for cissies). Lol. | |
| 35 | Stretch between last parts of theatre production, the interval (8) |
| ENTRACTE – TRACT (stretch) in last letters of of theatrE productioN and thE. | |
| 36 | Problem making comeback with old player (4) |
| MUSO – SUM (problem) [making a comeback] -> MUS, O (old). Australian slang for a musician. | |
| 39 | Rock, one stuck on front of swimming trunks, rarely (5) |
| TORSI – TOR (rock), first letter of Swimming I (one). | |
| 40 | Mineral with a use, ’til metamorphosing (10) |
| ANDALUSITE – AND (with) (a use ’til)* [metamorphosing]. And it is, indeed, a metamorphic mineral. Read about it here. | |
| 42 | Sure report of river sandpiper (3,3) |
| WHY NOT – WHY NOT sounds like [report of] WYE (river), KNOT (sandpiper). Nice. | |
| 44 | Lead surprisingly transformed volatile character in organic compound (8) |
| ALDEHYDE – (lead)* [surprisingly], HYDE (transformed volatile character) | |
| 46 | Flautist manages art scene in West Virginia (9,5) |
| PANHANDLE STATE – PAN (flautist) HANDLES (manages) TATE (art scene). The term “panhandle state” refers to a US state with a narrow, elongated extension of its territory resembling a pan’s handle. There are nine states with such a feature: Alaska, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Maryland, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and West Virginia. West Virginia is unique in having two panhandles: the Eastern and Northern panhandles | |
| 48 | Girl speaks about love where keepers can be found? (10) |
| GOALMOUTHS – GAL (girl) MOUTHS (speaks) [about] O (looks like 0; nothing; love) | |
| 49 | Hate figures occupying gym — we use it for now (7,5) |
| PRESENT TENSE – RESENT (hate) TENS (figures) in PE (gym). | |
| 53 | Thug with catapult faced by principal in college (5) |
| CHURL – C{ollege} [principal in ; first letter of] HURL (catapult). | |
| 54 | Performer on stage, narrow trousers beginning to chafe on black belt? (3,6) |
| TAP DANCER – TAPER (narrow) outside [trousers] first letter of Chafe, DAN (black belt). The ? signifies a definition by example as there are other levels of Dan than black belt. | |
| 55 | Workable bringing wine into company (7) |
| PLASTIC – ASTI (wine) in PLC (company). | |
| 56 | Perhaps Queen’s rocker is loopy thing (4,6) |
| CATS CRADLE – CAT’S (perhaps Queen’s) CRADLE (rocker). | |
| 57 | Smoke around chicken that should be less hot — cool it! (7,2) |
| LIGHTEN UP – LIGHT UP (smoke) around {h}EN (chicken) without the H (hot). | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Wolf down in valley (5) |
| GORGE – Double definition. | |
| 2 | Old skyscraper where packer keeps couple of things boxed, sometimes? (5,5) |
| SEARS TOWER – EARS (a couple of things boxed, sometimes) in STOWER (packer). Clever surface. | |
| 3 | Return to harvest fruit (8) |
| REAPPEAR – REAP (harvest) PEAR (fruit). A bit of a chestnut, I think | |
| 4 | Game with pressure more satisfactory, might one say? (5) |
| POKER – P (pressure) OKER, could be pronounced [might one say] “okayer”, (more satisfactory). | |
| 5 | Fruity thing and naughty thing united in romantic affair (4,5) |
| DATE NIGHT – DATE (fruity thing), (thing)* [naughty]. | |
| 6 | Work — or the opposite! (4) |
| PLAY – Double definition, the first being the work of a dramatist. | |
| 7 | Passion relating to brilliant appearance (6) |
| LUSTRE – LUST (passion) RE (relating to). | |
| 8 | Team fixed matches, nice try! (10,4) |
| MANCHESTER CITY – (matches nice try)* [fixed]. Another entertaining surface. | |
| 9 | Sense of achievement is observed after day with party (12) |
| SATISFACTION – SAT (Saturday; day) IS, FACTION (party). | |
| 10 | Main dishes of a brasserie ultimately served up covered in soil (7) |
| SEAFOOD – OF A {brasseri}E [ultimately] reversed, [served up], -> EAFO in SOD (soil). | |
| 11 | A fight to finish off innings in friendly game (10) |
| KNOCKABOUT – A BOUT (fight) after [to finish off] KNOCK (innings). | |
| 15 | Film about battle in house — there it is! (3,6) |
| HEY PRESTO – Another double inclusion. ET (film) [about] YPRES (battle) all in HO (house). | |
| 18 | Male relative with time, still (8) |
| STAGNANT – STAG (male) NAN (relative) T (time). | |
| 20 | Angrily look to include objective, being former Welsh leader (9) |
| GLENDOWER – END (objective) in GLOWER (angrily look). Read all about the Welsh leader Owen Glendower here. | |
| 21 | Clumsiness in patois regularly written into study (10) |
| INEPTITUDE – IN, alternate letter [regularly] of PaToIs in ETUDE (musical study). | |
| 23 | Novelist Amis, say, in flier (4,6) |
| SAND MARTIN – (George) SAND (novelist) MARTIN (Amis). | |
| 27 | Gold coin freshly minted somewhere in Oceania (3,6) |
| NEW GUINEA – NEW (freshly minted) GUINEA (gold coin). | |
| 28 | Basic food registered in basic hotel, say (5,3,6) |
| BREAD AND BUTTER – READ (registered) in B AND B (basic hotel), UTTER (say). | |
| 31 | Drop what you’re carrying, huge amount (8) |
| SHEDLOAD – SHED (drop) LOAD (what you’re carrying). | |
| 33 | Northern Ireland fraud admitted by commoners from London lacking leadership — complete chaos! (12) |
| OMNISHAMBLES – NI (Northern Ireland) SHAM (fraud) in [admitted by] {w}OMBLES (inhabitants of Wimbledon Common) with the first letter. What a great word. A neologism first used in the BBC political satire The Thick of It in 2009. I remember this from a previous crossword. | |
| 34 | Slow destruction of Earth and rising of smoke underlines conclusion of all (9) |
| LETHARGIC – [conclusion of] alL , [destruction of] (Earth)* and CIG (smoke) [rising] -> GIC. Clever construction. | |
| 37 | Where shell may be found that’s novel? (2,3,5) |
| ON THE BEACH – Double definition. The second referring to this novel by Nevil Shute. | |
| 38 | Ride on and straight out (5,5) |
| GHOST TRAIN – (on straight)* [out]. | |
| 41 | Clear, ship turned round (9) |
| SPHERICAL – (clear ship)* [turned]. | |
| 43 | Where pink might be seen in a couple of snooker shots? (5,3) |
| PLANT POT – PLANT and POT (a couple of snooker shots). | |
| 45 | Copper impressed by the lifting up of a fat claret drinker? (7) |
| DRACULA – CU (chemical symbol of copper) in A LARD (fat) reversed [lifting up]. A bit of a whimsical definition. | |
| 47 | Cast I see standing in shot (6) |
| SHAPED – AH (I see) reversed [standing] in SPED (shot). | |
| 50 | Buck having pulled out gun, finally — shoot! (5) |
| SPRIG – SPRI{n}G (buck) without the last letter of guN. | |
| 51 | Court verdict — going down then? (3,2) |
| NOT UP – Tennis court, that is… Double definition, the second a cryptic hint. | |
| 52 | Residing in Poland, an Eastern European (4) |
| DANE – Hidden in PolanD AN Eastern. | |
DNF –never got TORSI–wonder if I got it last time. DNK ANDALUSITE, MUSO, GOALMOUTHS. I had a ? at ‘hate’ in 49ac, and ‘flautist’; panpipes are hardly flutes. Some pretty bad surfaces; (e.g. 16ac, 24ac, 39ac); I suspect there’s one Jumbo setter who’s given to them.
I wasn’t aware of the duplication until John pointed it out but I did note when solving that I remembered KIT CARSON coming up not that long ago, probably his first ever appearance here.
I commented on Kitty’s blog that I wrote ‘bloody hard work’ on my copy last time. This time I wrote ‘quite hard’ which suggests I may have learnt a little, but not much.
Before the arrival of intersecting answers that forced a rethink I had been quite happy with NEAT at 29ac instead of TIDY.
We noted this as “difficult but do-able”. We felt rather clever to have remembered Kit Carson, and now feel stupid realising we forgot we did the whole thing last year!
Favourites were Date Night and Play.
Noted that our old friend ET popped up once again.
A ‘did not finish’ for me. I don’t recall this puzzle so perhaps was on holiday when it was previously published.
One of my pet hates is sports obscurities, so I didn’t understand 24a, how knock means innings (is that cricket?) or 51d, though I did guess it.
Other obscurities included entracte, aldehyde, andalusite, protista, torsi, palimpsest, and that film from 1997 at 19a, though I suppose it’s better than the cliched film = ET at 15d.
Favourite: 8d (will the investigation into City’s alleged wrong-doing ever be completed?)
Least favourite: 24a, because of the meaningless (to me) fresh cherries.
Confidently entered POEM for 6d, thinking it was op=work plus the em dash, with a reversal (‘the opposite’). Only realised it was wrong when I eventually figured out KIT CARSON
– Not familiar with CHEESEPARING and took ages to see the wordplay
– Biffed ENTRACTE as it sounded plausible
– Have heard of formaldehyde but not ALDEHYDE
Thanks John and setter
COD Shaped
Gave up with 4 left mostly in north east corner. Wouldn’t have got them – just not on the right wavelength. Thanks to the blogger for his efforts which are always appreciated.