Jumbo 1228

Author   sghansonPosted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
Fairly straightforward, but I made a careless error on 7D.

I was slightly surprised to find two words in here that were also in the Saturday prize crossword on the same day, with almost the same clue in each case. I have blogged before when there has been the same solution in both, but I don’t recall two, nor with clues so similar.

Across
1 DRASTIC – DRAC = CARD = queen, say, reversed, around ITS*
5 BEMUSING – BEING = person, around MUS = letters from Greece
9 MORASS – MASS = service, around O.R. = men. A very similar clue to the same word appeared in the Times Saturday Crossword on the same day!
13 RETURNING OFFICER – RETURNING = on way back, OFFICER = cop
14 TEMPLE – TEMPL(at)E = guiding example
16 NINJA – hidden in towN IN JApan
17 ITEMISE – TIME*, I’S = one’s, E(nergy)
18 LOOK SHARP – LOOKS = peers, HARP = something to play
19 EXONERATE – (th)E, X = times, ONE = I, RATE = think much of
21 BLINDER – (meda)L in BINDER = file
22 ENSUE – EN = in (in Nancy, in France), SUE = Susan
23 ELATE – E(fficient), LATE = not keeping to time
25 CADETSHIP – (PITCHED AS)*
27 SOMALIA – AILS = troubles, around A M.O. = a doctor, all reversed. Again, a very similar clue to the same word appeared in the Times Saturday Crossword on the same day!
29 TRIPLANES – TRIES = attempts, around PLAN = design
31 LIKE CLOCKWORK – LIKE = fancy, C(onstant), LOCK = secure, WORK = employment
34 INNER HEBRIDES – (IN BEER HINDERS)*. Rum is one of the islands
35 SODA WATER – SOD = turf, A(rea), WAR, around TE = note
37 AIRLESS – sounds like HEIRLESS, with nobody succeeding
39 ASPERSION – AS = when, PERSON = somebody, around I = one
42 YALTA – Y = unknown, (m)ALTA = island
43 IBSEN – I = one, B(ook), alternate letters in StErNe
45 TINFOIL – TIN = can, FOIL = be frustrating.
47 SWEEPINGS – S.S. = vessel, around WEEPING = evidently distressed
49 ARROWROOT – sounds like ARROW ROUTE = trajectory of missile
50 ON THE GO – ON = cricket side, THE(y), GO = game
52 AVOID – AVID = keen, around O = duck. Duck is used twice, as part of the wordplay and as the definition
54 IRISES – I = one, RISES = picks up
55 BARCHESTER TOWERS – BARE = nude, around CHEST = breasts, RS = rupees, around TOWER = rear (up)
56 ESTEEM – E(uropean), STEEM sounds like STEAM
57 ALISTAIR – A-LIST = most celebrated, AIR = broadcast
58 EXPRESS – EX PRESS = reporters no longer
 
Down
1 DERANGEMENT – DENT = depression around RANGE = series, and ME = this writer,
2 ACT ON – A(nswer), CON = politician, around (parliamen)T
3 TERRACE – TRACE = a dash, around ER = RE = about, reversed
4 CRIMINAL CONVERSATION – (I CAN SIN, ROMANTIC LOVER)*. An old term for adultery
5 BUGLEWEED – BUGLED = blown, around WEE = small
6 MUFTI – double definition
7 SNIPEFISH – (P(ool), FINISHES)*. Not SPINEFISH as I entered without checking, and so did several others judging by the Crossword Club Forum.
8 NEEDLED – NEED = being without, L.E.D. = light
10 OVERSEE – O.E. = Old English, around VERSE = poetry
11 APPRAISAL – APPAL = shock, around R.A. = artist, and IS
12 STEEPLEJACK – (JET KEEPS CAL(m))*
15 CORRESPONDENCE COURSE – CORRESPONDENCE = agreement, COURSE = the way
20 OVATION – OVA = eggs, ON, around TI = IT reversed
21 BOTTLED – BOTTLE = daring, D(aughter)
24 ENLARGE – hidden reversed in intEGRAL NEtworks
26 PICKS – sounds like PICS = photographs
28 MAKE WAY – MAKE = force, WAY = method
30 SYRIA – AIRS = broadcasts around Y(ear), all reversed
32 KESTREL – KEEL = flat bottomed boat, around STR(eet) = the way
33 ORTOLAN – OR = golden, ALTO*, N(ote)
34 IMAGINATIVE – I = one, MAG = glossy, I = one, NATIVE = natural
36 RHAPSODISTS – RHAP sounds like RAP = blame, SO = hence, DIS = criticise, alternate letters in TaSk
38 RESERVIST – ((w)RITES VERS(e))*. 51D could be read as THE T.A.
40 PROBOSCIS – PRO = for, BOSS = head, around C(old) and I = one
41 INSPECTOR – IN = popular, SPEC = gamble, TOR = ROT = corruption, reversed
44 NOWHERE – NO = not a, WERE = used to be, around H(orse)
46 NUTGALL – NUT = head, GALL = cheek
48 PEA SOUP – double definition, the second referring to mostly historical peasouper fogs
51 THETA – THE = article, TA = I’m obliged (thank you)
53 OBESE – OBES = honours, E(ven)

4 comments on “Jumbo 1228”

  1. Fortunately, ‘spine’ never occurred to me; never good when one can’t choose between two equaly plausible possibilities from wordplay and checkers. 3d was my LOI, since I didn’t know the stadium-related meaning; if I recall correctly, I finally figured dash=race, and hoped for the best. My 2d to LOI was 38d, mainly because the checkers suggested ‘restraint’ to me (and nothing else), and once lodged in my brain, nothing could get it out, even though of course I could make no sense of it. COD to 34a; it took ages, but I finally remembered the island of Rum.
  2. Very enjoyable puzzle – perhaps, yes, on the relatively easy side of the spectrum. PROBOSCIS was my last in – suspected it from the wordplay but did not know the meaning. CRIMINAL CONVERSATION is, as you say, old. I wondered if, in this age, the same could be said of the other 20-letter answer, CORRESPONDENCE COURSE. Favourite clue BOTTLED. Many thanks, setter and blogger.
  3. Another SPINEFISH here. If you haven’t heard of the correct answer the wrong version looks much more likely as the name of a fish. Nasty clue.
  4. Also struck by the near similarity of those two clues,l had got in the 15×15 so write ins when l started the jumbo,opted for snipe over spine,fortunately.Ong’ara,Nairobi.

Comments are closed.