Times Jumbo 1075 (25 Jan 2014)

Author   daveperryPosted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
Solving time: About 1 hour 35 minutes – with one mistake.

It seemed quite an easy one, although there were plenty of excellent clues here. I still don’t really understand 54a, but no doubt someone will explain it to me.

I give my COD to the &lit anagram at 20d. Again, it was a very easy one, but still good nonetheless.

cd = cryptic def., dd = double def., rev = reversal, homophones are written in quotes, anagrams as (–)*, and removals like this

1 SOUTHAMPTON = OUT in SoHo + A + MP + NOT rev
7 BLADDERWORT = LADDER (run) + W + OR (servicemen) all in Burnt-ouT
13 AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE = AM + BASS + A + (GREAT LORD)* about A
14 DEFER = F in DEER (browser, i.e. something that browses or grazes)
15 CAREER = CARER about onE
16 BLATANCY = nANCY after Lunch in BAT
17 MOORHEN = (HOME ON + R)*
19 LENINGRAD = (DEALING + RussiaN)*
21 ENSLAVER = RENE (Frenchman) rev about SLAV
23 ABED = Doctor after ABE (Lincoln)
25 GAWKY = “GORKY”
27 EXTENT = X (vote) in ETENTe
28 CROSSROADS = CROSS + “RHODES” – I don’t know who the colonialist in question is, but Rhodes is a common surname, so I assume there must have been one.
30 TEA TOWEL = TEAL (ducks) about TOWEr (keep) – ‘drier’ is the neatly disguised definition
31 SCHOOLMISTRESS – cd
34 ESTUARY ENGLISH – cd
35 OVERSTEP = O + EP about VERST – A verst being an obsolete unit of distance in Russia, equal to 3500 feet. I didn’t know the unit, but I worked it out from the rest of the clue.
38 ABERRATION = A BEER RATION without an E
40 ESPRIT = ESP + IT about R
41 OKAPI = OK + PI about A
43 CAPE = Consumed + APE
44 KOHLRABI = “COLE” + BAR rev + I
45 NANTUCKET = NAN TUCK (Friar’s grandmother) + T about E
48 PINWORM = PIN + ROW rev + M
49 LIEGEMAN = LIE (porky – CRS pork pie = lie) + GErMAN
50 E + STATE
53 TRYST = TRUST with Union replaced by Y (unkown)
54 KICK OVER THE TRACES – I don’t actually see how this one works, other than that KICK is ‘buzz’. But where does ASCOT come in? Perhaps it’s KICK + OVER + THE RACES about ascoT but that would leave the ASCOT doing double duty.
55 REED WARBLER = RE + L + BRAW (fine in Scottish) + DEER all rev
56 STRINGENTLY = SLY (fly) about TRING (town in Herts) + ENT (hospital dept – Ear Nose & Throat)
Down
1 SEARCHLIGHT = SLIGHT (small) about EAR + CH
2 lUMBER
3 HAS-BEEN = “HAS BEAN” – Bean being slang for money
4 MEAD = “MEDE” – A native of Mercia
5 TROGLODYTE = (LET DOG TOY + R)*
6 NEAR THE KNUCKLE – dd
7 BA(LINE)SE
8 ARRAY = ARMY with M (mark) replaced with RA (artist)
9 D + REAM LESS
10 RED TOP = Designed + TO all in REP
11 OFF THE BEATEN TRACK = “OFF THE BEETON TRACK” – A reference to Mrs Beeton, one of the first cookery writers.
12 THRENODISTS = (THIS DOESN’T + Reimburse)*
18 GREENERY = tReEs + ENERGY with the G (grand) moved to the start
20 NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE = (CANNY LOT WE SENT UP + herE)* – &lit
22 AIRILY = Invest in AI (first-class) + RLY (transport system, i.e. railway)
24 ORATORIO = OR (men) + AT + O + RIO
26 YEOMANRY = YE (the old) + OMAN (sultanate) + RustY
29 POSSESSIVENESS = POSSESSIVE (case, in grammar) + NESS (head)
32 INVITING – dd
33 UNCOOL = UN (A French) + COL (officer) about O (round)
34 EMANCIPATOR = TO + R all after (A PIC NAME) rev
36 POINTLESSLY – dd
37 IRONMASTER = IRON + MASTER (person taking class) – this was my mistake. I’d never heard of an ironmaster, so I went for IRONCASTER, thinking CAST (class) in IRONER (smooth person), although I was never particularly happy about it. Besides, it ought to be CASTE for class.
39 TOOLMAKER – cd
42 RACEGOER = R + GOER about ACE
46 UPSURGE = UP (going to London) + SURE about G
47 KOWTOW = “COW” + TO + W
49 LOCAL = LOL (expression of mirth) about CA (accountant)
51 A SCOT
52 FE(R)N

3 comments on “Times Jumbo 1075 (25 Jan 2014)”

  1. Another good solid effort, I thought. Can’t be easy to set (or blog!) a whole jumbo without giving any cause for complaint. It seems Ascot is doing double duty in 54ac, and why not? Not a hard clue to solve, no chance of a misunderstanding.. works for me
  2. Count me as another who didn’t see how 54ac worked. I didn’t know the expression and thought the last word could have been either “traces” or “tracks” so I had to look it up. I didn’t time this one, but it seemed very straightforward at the time, other than 54ac ………
  3. The way I read 54ac “activity” gives THE RACES. It’s a very vague definition but you’re pointed in the right direction (I wouldn’t quite call this double duty) by the reference to ASCOT, which contributes its last letter in the wordplay. And it’s an &lit. However I had to read all this into it without having heard the expression before so I could be wrong.

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