Jumbo 1192 February 13, 2016 – Alive

Author   galsprayPosted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
Attempted to solve this at 5am outside a tent in the bush in WA’s south-west.  That’s the dedication required to be a TftT blogger apparently.

From memory it was tougher than recent Jumbos, but that may be because I usually solve them at sensible times of the day, and in a house.  Took ages to get the Roman hill (great clue) and the piece of music before I ultimately came to grief on the Andean peak.

There seemed to be fewer anagrams than usual (nine) and a large number of question mark clues (seventeen).  Or maybe this is completely normal, I certainly wouldn’t have noticed it if I wasn’t blogging.

Being my first blog, I eagerly await your comments, be they positive, negative or neutral.  And any advice from experienced bloggers will be greatly appreciated.  Like public speaking and the Tour de France, it’s not as easy as it looks!

So away we go.  Clues are in blue, with definitions underlined.  Anagrinds are bolded and italicised.


Across
1 Backing provided when firm’s a failure
FIASCO – FI [if (provided),backing], AS (when), CO (firm)

5
The sack for one with a complaint?
SICKBED – Just a cryptic def

9
Queen one of those going places, describing one’s rise in Rome
QUIRINAL – Q (Queen), URINAL (one of those going places), describing (surrounding) I (one)
One of the seven hills of Rome.  And my COD because it contains toilet humour.

13
Ingredients in sisters’ recipe not yet offered: a few go on cooking
EYE OF NEWT AND TOE OF FROG – (NOT YET OFFERED A FEW GO ON)*
The sisters in question being the witches who provide the pivotal plot device in Macbeth.  Their recipe sounds a bit like one of my green curries.

14
Love to turn over in mud, perhaps, as dietary aid?
SLIMLINE – LIN [nil (love) to turn over] in SLIME (mud)
Wasn’t sure whether slimline was a specific product, but apparently it’s just an adjective meaning low in calories.

15
A second article by him?
ANOTHER – A self-referential clue.  AN (article), OTHER (him, ie the “second” referred to earlier in the clue)
Make that A (article) NOT HER (him?).  Thanks to Paul G for that one.

16
Pick over cherry, unripe
REDRAW – As in draw again.  RED (Cherry), RAW (unripe)

17
Protest and shout for all to hear that one’s going to pot?
OBJECT BALL – OBJECT (protest), BALL [homophone (for all to hear) for bawl (shout)]
The ball to which the white ball is directed in snooker (pool, billiards, etc).  A pedant might point out that the intention is not always to pot it, to which Ulaca would reply that that’s why there’s a question mark.

20
Joke to pass on – women’s writer’s material that is – a little one
KIDDIEWINKIE – KID (joke), DIE (pass on), W (women), INK (writing material), IE (that is)
Just a cutesy name for a child, apparently.  Kiddie is quite common in these parts, don’t think I’ve heard the longer version.

23
Jilted girls, maybe, used by posh-talking fellers?
EXES – Apparently this is how upper-class lumberjacks (?) might refer to their axes

24
Schooled Sudanese ballet company member
DANSEUSE – (SUDANESE)*

26
Smart interrupting mostly quiet election meeting
HUSTINGS –  STING (smart), interrupting HUS{h} (mostly quiet)
Let’s not talk about elections.

29
Do aim to shut up writer
BALLPOINT PEN –  BALL (do, as in party), POINT (aim), PEN (shut up)

30
Cover international trial for players
SCREEN TEST – SCREEN (cover), TEST (international)
“Test” is the status given to matches played between leading countries in certain sports, including cricket and rugby.

32
Ineffective weapon resembling siren used on exercises
PEA-SHOOTER – PE (exercises), AS (resembling), HOOTER (siren)

34
Piece of tourniguet applied with dry binding
TROUT QUINTET – (TOURNIQUET)*, bound by TT (dry, or tee-total)
You may know it as Schubert’s Piano Quintet in A major.  I didn’t.

36
Orphan doesn’t have a ______ view
PANORAMA – Well, an orphan doesn’t have a PA.  NOR A MA, for that matter.
Strange looking clue, looked like one of those ones we get in the vintage puzzles.  Good fun though.

38
Latin or European travelling from Asia
ORIENTAL – (LATIN OR E)*
Slightly Eurocentric, but let it go.

39
One who’s like a friend regardless of pressure
ALLY – {P}ALLY (like a friend), disregard P (pressure)
“Like a friend” does double duty here, making it a sort of &Lit.  Or a semi-&Lit, as suggested by Keriothe in the comments.

41
So mad, perhaps, opening minor retail centre
SHOPPING MALL – HOPPING (so mad), SMALL (minor)

43
Campaigners study offers
CONTENDERS CON (study), TENDERS (offers)

44
Glass dome’s front containing grooves
FLUTED – FLUTE (glass), D(dome’s front)

46
Of a coat, say, not requiring bristles or special fibre
SPRAY-ON – SP (special), RAYON (fibre)
Saves all that messing around cleaning brushes.

48
Rescue vessel, trapped by buoy, to proceed back
LIFE RAFT – ERAF [fare (proceed), back] trapped by LIFT (buoy)

50
What’s with the doughty head attire, put another way?
WHERE DID YOU GET THAT HAT –  W (with), (THE DOUGHTY HEAD ATTIRE)*
British music hall song.  The long winter evenings must have flown by.

51
Something round to get by clutching singular instrument
OTOSCOPE – O (something round), TO (to), S (singular), COPE (get by)
Not many of you will have considered otiscope for as long as I did.

52
Expose inside of camera by aligning to the left
LAY BARE – Reverse hidden, indicated by “inside” and “to the left”.  (camERA BY ALigning)
Very neatly disguised I thought.

53
Off and on, had silly idea about Scottish girl?
EILIDH – Alternating letters (off and on) reversed (about) in HaD sIlLy IdEa
Lovely name.  I have a cousin named Ceilidh.

Down
2 One put out hands for textbook
IDEAL – I (one), DEAL (put out hands)
I used to deal, in a casino for a year or so.

3
Small junk meets slave ship
STEAM VESSEL – S (small), (MEETS SLAVE)*
Junk is a clever anagrind in the context of the clue.

4
Fine, in spite of moving on dangerous slope
OFF-PISTE – F (fine), in (SPITE OF)*
Away from the prepared ski runs.  There’ll be none of that when I take the family to Nagano next Christmas for my first ski trip in thirty years.  Anyone have any tips?

5
Lives, overturned, almost continually showing strain
SIEVE – SI [IS (lives) overturned], EVE{r} (almost continually)

6
Barracking? Not entirely upset, will act accordingly
CATCALL – Reverse hidden, indicated by “not entirely” and “upset”.  (wiLL ACT ACcordingly)

7
Reserve guards do, after mounting, itch for battle
BANNOCKBURN – BANK (reserve) guards NOC [con (do) mounting], BURN (itch)

8
Duly taking first half at first, then can have other half
DUTCH – DU (first half of duly), TCH (first letters of then can have)
“Dutch” for wife is common in crosswordland, not so sure about the real world?

9
Case found in school?
QUEER FISH – Case in this instance meaning character, or eccentric.  “Found in school” provides the cryptic component.
Not one of today’s top twenty clues, IMHO.

10
Make deduction that’s popular: a quarter off plant
INFER – IN (popular), FER{n} (a quarter off plant)

11
Irish regiment with drillmaster, expansively patriotic
IRREDENTIST – IR (Irish), RE (regiment), DENTIST (drillmaster)
I didn’t know this term, and took ages to deduce it.

12
A series of letters in order to secure an Asian currency
AFGHANI – A (a), FGHI (series of letters in order) securing AN (an)
Guess which Asian country has the Afghani as its currency?

18
Simple shooter in fight showed up big guns
BOX CAMERA – BOX (fight), CAME (showed up), RA (Royal Artillery, or big guns)

19
Large stove getting in the way, close by
AGAINST – AGA (Large stove), IN (in), ST (the way)

21
Maybe keep tie off carpet
DRESS DOWN – Double definition
Friday used to be our dress down day.  Now it’s any day ending in “y”.  Ties are a bit of a rarity.

22
A few lust after gallivanting spendthrift
WASTEFUL – (A FEW LUST)*

25
Star‘s busy month with head of advertising
SUPERNOVA – SUPER (busy), NOV (month), A (head of advertising)
“Busy” is a British colloquialism for policeman.  Personally I’ve only encountered it in crosswordland.  And “super” is short for superintendent, a rank of police officer.  More widely used than “busy” I reckon.

27
Bible reader to take turn with school book
GOSPELLER – GO (turn), SPELLER (school book)
Presumably a term for a spelling primer?

28
Andean peak reached by commanding officer leading a team
COTOPAXI – CO (commanding officer), TOP (leading), A (a), XI (team, as in a cricket or soccer eleven)
I knew what I was looking for, and I found some of the pieces, but I put them together and came up with COLONAXI.  Probably as close as I was ever likely to get.

31
Touching up skill at home, do this?
RETRAIN – RE (touching), TRA [art (skill) up], IN (at home)
Another self-referential clue.

33
Athletes, exhausted, say, with quiet second round
SHOT-PUTTERS – SHOT (exhausted), UTTER (say), with P (quiet) and S (second) round

34
Opera that has some swearing in?
TRIAL BY JURY – Can’t have a jury without swearing them in.

35
Old man in lane had rent adjusted
NEANDERTHAL – (lane had rent)*
Fascinating studies emerging recently suggesting we’re not that far removed from them after all.  But I said I wouldn’t mention elections.

37
Ancient bishop imposing policy – not Liberal
AUGUSTINE – AUGUST (imposing), INE [line (policy) without l (Liberal)]

40
English football club that’s stuck with bill reduced male talent
BEEFCAKE – E (English), FC (football club) stuck (as in pierced) BEAKE [beaked (with bill) reduced]

42
Mug of beer maybe, accompanying short
HALFWIT – HALF (of beer maybe), WIT [with (accompanying) short]
There was an English sitcom (which one was it?) where an old bloke would always pipe up with “I’ll ‘ave a ‘alf”.  Never managed to get to the bar himself though.

43
Measure of brilliance in old statesman initially reduced tenfold?
CANDELA – MANDELA (old statesman), with the M changed to a C
Changing the M to a C reduces it tenfold, if you’re a very old Roman.

45
Spaniard potentially needing two ways to exit
DIEGO – DIE (a way to exit), GO (another way to exit)
There’s also “make a new plan Stan”, “hop on the bus Gus” and a few others, but we only needed two here.

47
Unqualified men in turn getting measure of paper
ROYAL – [LAY (unqualified), OR (Other Ranks, or men)] reversed (in turn)
Describes the paper size 508mm x 635mm, as if you didn’t know.

48
Revolver bringing no end of panic?
LATHE – LATHE{r} (panic) with no end

49
Foul deed, disposing of a passport perhaps
FETID – FET [feat (deed), disposing of a], ID (passport perhaps)
A word that always makes me think of Clancy of the Overflow, but that’s probably just me.  Anyway, Banjo spelt it “foetid”.

18 comments on “Jumbo 1192 February 13, 2016 – Alive”

  1. Not a negative comment to be found, at least about the blogging. Several DNKs, like 17ac, 53ac, and LOI 14ac. And a couple, like TROUT QUINTET and HALFWIT, that I just biffed from checkers and then saw how the clues worked. I’ll admit to liking, even laughing when I solved, 9ac, but I think my COD is 43d, which I didn’t know, and biffed from definition.
    1. Thanks Kevin. Have you had a turn yet? Think you would bring a welcome perspective, not to mention the dry wit.
  2. Great jumbo this, and great blog Galspray.. though I’m English I have only come across “busy” in crosswords too.. but they probably use the word in some of the many murder/killing/detective/crime TV programmes that I carefully avoid. (Since I also avoid cooking programmes and football, I don’t seem to watch much TV).
    I would see fetid as a more sensible spelling than foetid, and therefore American.
    1. Jerry, there’s always the Kardashians, and the “Real Housewives of …” shows. Which one’s your favourite?
      1. A comprehensive list of tv I don’t watch would have taken too long.. but you could add reality tv, anything with a “celebrity” in it, and gardening… starting from the other end, I am a lifelong fan of St David Attenborough, and documentaries generally, and have a weakness for tennis and for minority sports such as the magnificent biathlon that is on Eurosport at present.. biathlon consists of alternately skiing as fast as possible and shooting a rifle as accurately as possible, two wonderfully mutually exclusive goals, which makes for compulsive entertainment. Even the formats they use are crazy.. they have something called the Pursuit, where the competitors start off in the order they finished the race the previous day, same time gaps and all. So the fastest ones go first and everybody else tries to catch up.. that really should not work, but somehow it does…
        1. But Jerry, by avoiding reality television, you’re missing such gems as Shane Warne’s views on evolution. Turns out we’re the result of alien experiments on monkeys. Didn’t know that did you?
  3. Well blogged, galspray. This was a tough crossword to get as your first one!
    I think I cheated to get 9ac, just because I’d been at it for over an hour by then. That and 28dn (COPTOPAXI) are hard clues if you don’t know the words.
    A couple of small points:
    1. I think the definition in 14ac is ‘as dietary aid’.
    2. I think 39ac is what Don Manley calls a ‘semi-&Lit’, where the definition is the whole clue but there is bit (in this case ‘one who’s’) that isn’t part of the wordplay. I say ‘I think’ because I can’t find my copy of DM’s book, so I’m relying on my memory for this comment, which means there’s an even higher probability than usual that it’s nonsense.
    I’ve definitely heard ‘busy’ for policeman.

    Edited at 2016-02-28 09:34 am (UTC)

    1. Thanks K. I agree on both counts, in fact I dithered over both of them at the time. Will update accordingly.
  4. Looking back, I find I took well over an hour for this one, but can’t remember much about the process; either it was quite difficult or I was distracted by watching Six Nations at the same time, or, most likely, a bit of both. Anyway, nice dayboo, as the sports commentators say in your part of the world – and my small piece of advice would be that blogging the Jumbo can sometimes feel like shouting into the void. Just remember that an awful lot more people read than comment, especially at weekends! Picture them nodding their heads appreciatively, even if they don’t feel moved to let you know…
  6. Ah, yes, thank you and well spotted Paul. Wow, I’m starting to feel like a real blogger!
  7. Excellent maiden blog galspray and mighty comprehensive too. I didn’t have time to try this particular puzzle but it looks like it was a tricky beggar so I’m relieved mine was an easy start.
  8. Welcome to the gang! Not an easy puzzle at all to kick off with so nicely done with the blog. My own opinion is that the clues don’t need to be included in the blog – it’s nice to have them, but with a 23×23 grid it seems like a ton of extra typing for the blogger (unless you have some way of doing it automatically).
    1. I typed this one in Mohn, which was enough to prompt me to write a small script for automating the process in the future.
  9. One of the toughest jumbos l have ever attempted, two errors, wrote axes (fellers) and plated for fluted, COD C (M) ANDELA. (ONG’ARA, NAIROBI )Thanks Galspray for your detailed blog style.
  10. Smashing blog, Gallers, for a very tricky puzzle. I don’t do many of these things – they take too long and I can hardly ever finish under my own steam, or, as I prefer to put it, because I am too busy – but had to make an exception in this auspicious case.

    I still don’t think SLIMLINE really works, K’s input notwithstanding, and pondered the parsing of 40d before concluding that the ‘stuck’ must be the transitive use, more common in the US, meaning ‘pierced with something pointed’. I reckon one of those 17 question marks lets the setter off the hook at 17a.

    I chuckled at you comment on 35d, but now have an image of Hillary Rodham printed indelibly on my mind. American Neanderthals must have studied law, no?

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