Jumbo 1288

Author   sghansonPosted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
This was not too difficult, although there are a few clues that may be more difficult for overseas solvers. The US terms are more commonly found over here although I had not come across 39A before.

Across
1 KIDSGROVE – KIDS = children, ROVE = are wandering, around the middle letter of larGish. Probably easier for UK solvers
6 ARAMAIC – CIA = spies, M.A. = graduate, R.A. = artist, all reversed
10 QATAR – Q(uestion), A, TAR = pitch
13 BUSHELS – BUSHES = scrub, around L = fifty
14 TRA-LA – TR = RT = retweet, reversed, ALA = in the style of
15 GYMNASTIC – (ACTINGS MY)*
16 BURN THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS – double definition, the second slightly cryptic
17 DEIFIC – hidden in lemonaDE IF I Contribute
18 KIRIBATI – KIR = win with blackcurrant, I,I = two, around BAT = club
19 TO SPARE – TORE = rent, around SPA = well
22 WILD GARLIC – (RIGID CLAW)* around L(arge)
23 WALDORF SALAD – (ADD WALLS FOR A)*
27 OWN UP – OWN = private, UP = quite happy
29 FINE LEG – F(ollowing), IN = popular, ELEG(y) = lament
30 NEUROSIS – N(ew), EUROS = currency, IS
32 ADRIATIC – AIR = show, D.A. = attorney, all reversed, TIC = sharp movement. The definition is “arm, in Med”
34 DELIBES – DELIBE(rate)S = ponders
36 FETID – FED = US investigator, around TI = note
39 BASKET MAKERS – BET MAKERS = gamblers, around ASK = demand. Not a term I am familiar with
41 WINDSHIELD – WINDS = turns, HI = greeting, E(nglish), LD = lord
44 INSURER – (IS RERUN)*
46 SCAVENGE – S.C. = that is, AVENGE = make someone pay
48 STRIPY – S(econd), TRIP = tour, Y(ear)
50 GROUND CONTROL TO MAJOR TOM – (DOG RUN DIRECT TO L(arge))*, TOM = cat – Thank you to Paul G for the comment below – this should be (DOG RUN)*, CONTROL = direct, TO, MAJOR = large, TOM = cat. I should have checked my blog more carefully
53 ESOTERICA – alternate letters in sEa ScOuTs, ERICA = miss (= a girl’s name)
54 COPSE – sounds like COPS = police = bluebottles
55 PIGFEED – cryptic reference to the phrase “pigs might fly” as some thing most unlikely. My LOI
56 TWILL – (a)T WILL = as one wants
57 ONE-STOP – ONE = I, STOP = cease
58 LAST RITES – LASS = female, around TRITE = worn

Down
1 KEBAB – BK = book, around ABE = president, all reversed
2 DESERT ISLAND DISCS – DESERT = waste, IS = one’s, LAND = left with, DIS = criticise, C.S. = civil service. Well constructed – possibly more UK-centric?
3 GEE-STRING – GEE = my, ST(reet), RING = band
4 OUSTED – OFSTED = school inspectorate, with U(niversity) replacing F = loudly. Again, OFSTED is a UK agency
5 EXTRADITION – EX = no longer, TRADITION = habit
6 ALASDAIR – AIR = appearance, around L(arge) and ASDA = supermarket. Not sure how well this will go down with overseas solvers as ASDA is a UK brand (from Associated Dairies originally), although now owned by Walmart
7 ALAMEDA – ALA(r)MED = anxious, A
8 ANGST-RIDDEN – (GRANNIES, DDT)*
9 COMFORTER – hidden in interCOM FOR TERraced
10 QUASHES – QUA = as, HES = stag party, around S(mall)
11 TITAN – sounds like TIGHTEN = attend to screws
12 ROCK-STEADY – ROCKS = is distressing, (AD YET)*
17 DR WHO – alternate letters in tHe WoRlD reversed, O = round
20 A FLY IN THE OINTMENT – (THAT ONLY FEMININE (tac)T)*
21 PROFIT – PRO(fessional) = one paid, FIT = well
24 ARGYLE – outside letters of A(mbe)R, G(re)Y, and L(im)E. The diamond pattern on knitwear, in my recollection often worn by golfers
25 SPOOF – F.O. = foreign office, OPS = actions, all reversed
26 GLIDER – R(ight), E.G. = for one, all reversed, around LID = top. Took some time to parse this one, although the solution was clear
28 PRIZE – sounds like PRIES = meddles
31 UPSIDE – (IS DUE, P(laying))*
33 CAKES AND ALE – CAKE = fancy, SAN = medical establishment, DALE = valley
35 BRING TO HEEL – (BLETHERING)*, around O = nothing
37 DADDY – DAY = light, around D,D = daughters
38 ABRIDGMENT – A.B. = sailor, RID = shot, G MEN = FBI agents, (exi)T
40 MARACAIBO – MAR = ruin, A, C(old), AI = fine, BO = O.B. = old boy, revered
42 HOTDOGGER – HOT = very close to, DOGGER = sandbank. I thought this was a snowboarding term, but obviously not
43 SELL A PUP – SEL = LES, the, French, reversed, LAP UP = readily accept
45 RENDELL – REND = rip off, ELL = length of old material. The author is Ruth Rendell, again probably more familiar to UK solvers
47 APRICOT – APR I = spring date, CO = firm, (succulen)T
49 PAMPAS – PAM = woman, PA’S = of 37 (= daddy)
51 OBOLI – IO = satellite, around LOB = sky, all reversed
52 MIDAS – MID = mean (mathematically), AS = top grades

14 comments on “Jumbo 1288”

  1. Threw in the towel with 6d, and now I can see why. It doesn’t go down too well for me, but especially because of the Walmart connection. I actually had a couple more clues to solve; I’d put this away for another day until just now I saw the blog was up, so I finally decided that ‘pigmeat’ had to be PIGFEED, and MIDAS had to be, despite my inability to parse it, and that 3d was GEE-STRING (I’ve never seen that form, only ‘G-string’). OFSTED has appeared a couple of times, so 4d wasn’t a problem. DNK FINE LEG, but the wordplay was helpful and the term sounded cricketian. Also DNK SELL A PUP. I had ARGYLE socks when I was a boy, way back when. BASKET MAKERS surprised me; I sort of knew it, although I couldn’t tell you where they lived, but it struck me as rather arcane, maybe fitter for a Mephisto. COD maybe 12d.

    Edited at 2017-10-21 05:50 am (UTC)

  2. Battled on for 1:56:19, but it was all in vain as I plumped for PRISE at 28d and PIGWEED(who knows what my mental process was there!!) at 55a. Bl**dy hard work. Thanks SG.
  3. 1:10:03. Very very hard this, and I also had PIGWEED at 55ac. A word I had never even heard of! But I figured it could be an alternative version of hogweed and I was fed up by then.
  4. Enjoyed this, a number of cool clues including rock-steady and major tom .. but i’m always a bit nervous about these not-easy-for-foreigners comments. It might be just chitchat – but it seems to be sending setters a message. Try solving a NY Times crossword, and see how you get on, if you are UK based .. and I would never want the London Times to be any less wedded to its country of origin
  5. Parsing of 50a is incorrect – it should be (DOG RUN)*, CONTROL = direct, TO MAJOR TOM = to large cat.

    Great blog, though!

    Paul G

  6. This was very hard, but very satisfying to solve esp when I finally did so without consulting anything (after many hours) working KIRIBATI out from the wordplay and then finding there was indeed such a word fitting the definition. Esp liked BURN THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS and PIGFEED. A lot of other good stuff too. Many thanks to setter and blogger.
  7. Isn’t the MID the median, not the mean? (I’d like to think that this was why I couldn’t parse this, but.)
    1. In mathematical terms probably, but looking in Chambers the dictionary definitions include “a middle state or position”, and “that which is between or intermediate”, so I don’t think the setter has any case to answer
          1. I think this is OK. Mean (average) and median are both mid-points, with one or other being used depending on the context, median perhaps more likely to be used if all the items in the series are whole numbers (integers).
  8. DNK ALASDAIR,I googled to find that it’s a Scot name but luckily my guess was correct with the checkers,ditto OFSTED which fortunately l’d filled in a past DT puzzle.Found this one tough but completed it after ages.
    Ong’ara,
    Kenya.

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