Morning all. Penfold’s travelling so I’m stepping in for him today.
I did this one in 27:59 which would suggest it’s on the easier side of the Jumbo spectrum.
(In the clues, definitions are underlined and anagram indicators are in bold italics. In the explanations (ABC)* indicates an anagram of abc. Deletions and other devices are indicated accordingly, I hope).
| Across | |
| 1 | Child brings home some works of Shakespeare (7) |
| SONNETS – SON (child) + NETS (brings home) | |
| 5 | Weirdly, I curtsey for bouncer? (8) |
| SECURITY – (I CURTSEY)* | |
| 9 | Tell school to accept fool (6) |
| SNITCH – SCH (school) “to accept” NIT (fool) | |
| 13 | The making of modern America is raw? (13,3) |
| REVOLUTIONARY WAR – Reverse cryptic
WAR is an anagram (revolutionary) of RAW |
|
| 14 | Attachment on the side and centre of safe light (6) |
| AFFAIR – AF (centre of sAFe) + FAIR (light) | |
| 16 | Lie on the counter to receive constant acclaim (5) |
| ECLAT – TALE (lie) reversed (on the counter) “to receive” C (constant) | |
| 17 | Cautious man would add petrol, perhaps, to have energy earlier (7) |
| HEEDFUL – HE’D FUEL (man would add petrol, perhaps) with E (energy) appearing earlier | |
| 18 | Jew somehow has to know one welcoming extreme characters (9) |
| ASHKENAZI – (HAS)* + KEN (know) + I (one) “welcoming” AZ (extreme characters) | |
| 19 | Periodically, Spain asks to get rid of repellent type (4,5) |
| SANS SERIF – SANSS [alternate letters (periodically) of SpAiN aSkS] + ERIF [FIRE (get rid of) reversed (repellent)] | |
| 21 | Smile ahead of fellow’s progress (5,2) |
| GRIND ON – GRIN (smile) + DON (fellow) | |
| 22 | Competent drunk (5) |
| TIGHT – Double definition
Tight for competent as in “we run a tight ship here”. Also commonly used to describe a band or orchestra performing competently. |
|
| 23 | While contracted, husband is welcomed by singer (5) |
| ALTHO – H (husband) “is welcomed by” ALTO (singer) | |
| 25 | Plant essential work by little sister (9) |
| COREOPSIS – CORE (essential) + OP (work) + SIS (little sister) | |
| 27 | They deliver and drive growth (7) |
| UPSURGE – UPS (they deliver) + URGE (drive)
UPS is a well-known courier company. |
|
| 29 | Triggers people sampling flagellation, according to Spooner (9) |
| TRIPWIRES – Spoonerism of WHIP TRIERS (people sampling flagellation) | |
| 31 | Station surrounded by multitude of buses ignoring old lady with hungry dog (6,7) |
| MOTHER HUBBARD – HUB (station) surrounded by MOTHERBARD [MOTHERBOARD (multitude of buses) “ignoring” O (old)]
“Buses” in the computer sense. Pathways for information. |
|
| 34 | Fuss around small guitar beginning to rile manager (13) |
| ADMINISTRATOR – ADO (fuss) around [MINI (small) + STRAT (guitar)] + R (beginning to Rile) | |
| 35 | Able to produce young almost immediately, taking care when cavorting (9) |
| PROCREANT – PRONT [“almost” PRONTO (immediately)] “taking” (CARE)* | |
| 37 | Mentor drives a buggy (7) |
| ADVISER – (DRIVES A)* | |
| 39 | Maybe it starts to cause enmity, say (9) |
| PRONOUNCE – PRONOUN (maybe “it”) + CE (starts to Cause Enmity) | |
| 42 | Ambassador covered in strange nasal discharge (5) |
| RHEUM – HE (ambassador) “covered in” RUM (strange) | |
| 43 | Oblivious about introduction of cream in coffee (5) |
| DECAF – DEAF (oblivious) “about” C (introduction of Cream) | |
| 45 | Country cops following archangel (7) |
| ISRAFEL – ISRAEL (country) “cops” F (following)
Never ‘eard of ‘im. |
|
| 47 | Irishman drinks red liquid in church (9) |
| CATHEDRAL – CATHAL (Irishman) “drinks” (RED)*
Not the first Irish name that comes to mind. |
|
| 49 | Shelter from sunshine, suffering with temperature (6,3) |
| NISSEN HUT – (SUNSHINE)* + T (temperature) | |
| 50 | Fast, say (7) |
| EXPRESS – Double definition | |
| 52 | In rows, leading European leaves exhausted (5) |
| TIRED – TIERED (in rows) after the leading E (European) leaves | |
| 54 | Call to account as takings at a higher level (4,2) |
| HAUL UP – HAUL (takings) + UP (at a higher level) | |
| 55 | Technique used for A Shot in The Dark? (5,11) |
| FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY – Cryptic definition | |
| 56 | Trudged along, slightly overweight? (6) |
| PADDED – Double definition | |
| 57 | Salts, light blue, consumed son (8) |
| CYANATES – CYAN (light blue) + ATE (consumed) + S (son) | |
| 58 | Customer has run for opening of sale, one that will last a long time (7) |
| ENDURER – END USER (customer) has R (run) for S (opening of Sale) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Rest matters when dancing for savvy American (6-5) |
| STREET-SMART – (REST MATTERS)* | |
| 2 | Five seen in Christmas story (5) |
| NOVEL – V (five) seen in NOEL (Christmas) | |
| 3 | Basic tools of hostile criminal (7) |
| EOLITHS – (HOSTILE)* | |
| 4 | Run faster than anyone else on final part of lap, correct? (3,3,6,8) |
| SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT – SET THE RECORD (run faster than anyone else) + STRAIGHT (final part of lap) | |
| 5 | Attached new structure briefly to support component of wheel (6,3) |
| SPOKEN FOR – N (new) + FOR [FORT (structure) briefly] “to support” SPOKE (component of wheel)
On edit: As per ML in the comments, FORM works better than FORT. |
|
| 6 | Henry visits small restaurant for bit of cereal (5) |
| CHAFF – H (Henry) “visits” CAFF (small restaurant) | |
| 7 | Payments from magnificent matches (9) |
| ROYALTIES – ROYAL (magnificent) + TIES (matches) | |
| 8 | Wearing jewellery, returned to island (7) |
| TIARAED – DEAR AIT (to island) returned
How do you begin a letter to an island? “‘Dear Ait” seems as good a way as any. |
|
| 10 | Recalled nut gathering as most poor (7) |
| NAFFEST – NAF [FAN (nut) reversed (recalled)] + FEST (gathering) | |
| 11 | Trump picked up seaweed close to major battle site (9) |
| TRAFALGAR – TRAF [FART (trump) reversed (picked up)] + ALGA (seaweed) + R (close to majoR) | |
| 12 | Material had rewrites to be edited (6,5) |
| HARRIS TWEED – (HAD REWRITES)* | |
| 15 | We set such homophones very indiscriminately at the moment of truth (4,4,5,2,5) |
| WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE – (WE SET SUCH HOMOPHONES V)* | |
| 20 | Old reactive metal found in new entrance hall (7) |
| NATRIUM – N (new) + ATRIUM (entrance hall) | |
| 21 | Ring during post-mortem; morgue upset (7) |
| GROMMET – Reverse hidden (during, upset) in post-morTEM MORGue | |
| 24 | Conquest stops fantastic snog speedily (2,5) |
| ON WINGS – WIN (conquest) “stops” (SNOG)* | |
| 26 | Rest of lake going into Ouse, it’s said (5) |
| SLEEP – L (lake) going into SEEP {ooze [homophone (it’s said) of Ouse]} | |
| 28 | Less drunk, retrospectively screen missing diamonds for bishop (7) |
| SOBERER – REREDOS (screen) reversed (retrospectively) with B (bishop) for D (diamonds) | |
| 30 | Fight a bit (5) |
| SCRAP – Double definition | |
| 32 | Work to protect old city with millions in trouble (7) |
| TURMOIL – TOIL (work) “to protect” UR (old city) + M (millions) | |
| 33 | Bedlam at Eurovision entertains enthusiast (7) |
| AMATEUR – Hidden in (entertains) bedlAM AT EURovision | |
| 34 | A group playing popular covers start to shout “Get out while you can!” (7,4) |
| ABANDON SHIP – A + BAND (group) + ON (playing) + HIP (popular) “covers” S (start to Shout) | |
| 36 | Doctor nearly agreed to break glass appliance (6,5) |
| TUMBLE DRYER – DR (doctor) + YE [“nearly” YES (agreed)] “to break” TUMBLER (glass) | |
| 38 | Investigative team deputy’s motor vehicle (4,5) |
| VICE SQUAD – VICES (deputy’s) + QUAD (motor vehicle) | |
| 40 | Switch positions to suppress outspoken notices when business is slow (3,6) |
| OFF SEASON – OFF + ON (switch positions) “to suppress” SEAS [homophone of SEES (notices)] | |
| 41 | Cage, perhaps, reportedly containing metal (9) |
| NICKELOUS – Homophone (reportedly) of NICHOLAS (Cage, perhaps) | |
| 44 | Female to entice inspiring former partner in turn (7) |
| FLEXURE – F (female) + LURE (entice) “inspiring” EX (fromer partner) | |
| 46 | I’m surprised time interrupts count again (7) |
| RETALLY – T (time) “interrupts” REALLY (I’m surprised) | |
| 48 | Burst in and blushed, having forgotten wife takes ecstasy (7) |
| ENTERED – WENT RED (blushed) “having forgotten” W (wife) “takes” E (ecstasy) | |
| 51 | Singer? Just beat it! (5) |
| PIPIT – PIP (just beat) + IT | |
| 53 | More fully developed American departing to make amends for going north (5) |
| RIPER – A (American) “departing” REPAIR (make amends for) reversed (going north) | |
DNK ISRAFEL, CATHAL, STRAT, CYANATES (LOI), TIGHT=competent. No idea how 31ac worked; still don’t get it. I guessed that the ‘structure’ was FORT, but. I wondered about TIARAED; is DEAR=to as in the salutation to a letter? I liked ECLAT & PRONOUNCE.
Whoops. You’ve reminded me that I meant to add a few explanations.
Yes, I took “Dear Ait” to be a substitute for “to island”, for people who are in the habit of corresponding with land masses.
A motherboard consists of (among other things) a lot of “buses” that act as pathways for information.
in 5d I had structure as form rather than fort
Yes, that makes more sense. Thanks.
Thanks for stepping into the breach Gallers.
I found this a bit trickier than average, largely by dint of all the funny words Kevin identified.
We found this a bit difficult, but good fun with so many creative clues.
Whip Triers was a genuine LOL moment. Also liked Mother Hubbard. And very impressed by that huge 15d anagram.
Never realised why sodium is Na so that was interesting. But Israfel is truly obscure.
Three Americanisms in 1d, 23a and to some extent 13a. Always rankles in this British institution!
Thank you galspray and thank you Setter.
Sadly I don’t have time to revisit my failings on this now. I got there in the end with one use of aids (CYANITES) but I wrote BLOODY HARD WORK across the top of my printout. Sounds like an experience best forgotten!
45 minutes.
– NHO COREOPSIS but the wordplay was kind
– Had no idea how MOTHER HUBBARD worked
– ISRAFEL was another unknown generously clued
– Not sure I’ve ever come across the name Cathal as used in CATHEDRAL
– NHO EOLITHS but it sounded plausible
– Didn’t see how TIARAED worked
– Can’t recall seeing FLEXURE before
Thanks galspray and setter.
FOI Novel
LOI Pronounce
COD Nissen hut
Many thanks Galspray for all the explanations; and setter.