Times Jumbo 1014

Author   helenoughamPosted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
I’d wondered whether the Jumbo for the weekend between Christmas and New Year would be tougher than uual, as a holiday bonus, but that didn’t seem to be the case; I managed to time myself properly for this one, and it took me 20 minutes (and 8 seconds).

As ever, * indicates an anagram.

Across
1 CHUFFED – C + HUFFED (reference to the wolf who “huffed and puffed” and blew the little pigs’ house down)
5 FAIL-SAFE – F + AIL, + (A + S) reversed, + FE (chemical symbol for iron)
9 HINGES – NG + E in HIS
13 RETURNING OFFICER – double definition
14 OCULAR – jOCULAR
16 NEW STYLE – refers to the “New Style” calendar introduced in 1752
17 ARCH – hidden in cAR CHase
18 APOLOGISE – A POISE around LOG
20 PASADENA – SAD ENA after PA (defined by “old man” = father)
21 REENACTMENT – (recent)* around A, + MEaNT
24 PRESENTER – PRESENT + ER. Here, “anchor” indicates a TV anchorman/anchorwoman
25 IDENTITY – Y (symbol for an unknown in algebra etc), after I + DENT + IT
26 ASBO – AS + BOy
29 IRON CURTAIN – I + RON + CURT + IN, around A
31 SUPERCHARGE – SUPER (short for superintendent) + CHARGE
33 ENDORSEMENT – END + OR (other ranks), + SENT around ME
36 SCREWDRIVER – cryptic indication, which I’m not convinced by – a screw is an unsound or broken-winded horse, not a dead one. A SCREWDRIVER is a type of cocktail
38 DIES – double definition (DIES is Latin for day)
39 STREAKED – RE in STAKED
41 SYLLABLED – ALLY’S (reversed) + BLED
44 PLEA BARGAIN – (a pal barge in)*
45 SPEEDWAY – Spooner’s version would be “weeds pay”
48 EVAPORATE – EVA + P + ORATE
49 NERO – an “&lit” clue (i.e. one where the whole clue is both the cryptic indicator and the definition), with the the name hidden in fiNE ROman
50 KEROSENE – (sore knee)*
52 CLIQUE – CLUE around I Q
53 OLD-AGE PENSIONERS – (A person’s gone idle)*. “Idle” doesn’t describe most of the pensioners I know!
54 SINNER – SERmon around INN
55 TRADES ON – (so ardent)*
56 DASTARD – (drat + sad), reversed

Down
1 CORONA – double definition
2 UPTOWN – U + PT + (now)*
3 FIRST MATE – FIR + STATE around M
4 DRILLMASTER – (treadmills r)*
5 FOGY – FOGgY
6 INFORMATION – IN FORMATION (reference to formation dancing)
7 SMITHEREENS – SMITH, + SNEEREd reversed
8 FREE AGENT – double definition
10 INCHOATE – IN + CH + OrATE. INCHOATE means not yet formed or fully developed
11 GULLIVER’S TRAVELS – (vulgar verse still)*
12 SARGENT – Sky + ARGENT
15 COFACTOR – CO-ACTOR around F. A COFACTOR is a chemical that is needed for a protein – usually an enzyme – to function
19 DECREASE – DECREE around AS
22 SPLIT END – END appears, “split”, in “Women definitely”
23 SECOND-GENERATION – “sage” could be defined by SECOND GENERATION, indicating S + AGE
27 OVERRIDE – ODE around V + ERR + Is, I think. I’m assuming that I is an alternative form of “Is”, meaning island
28 THOR – THORn
30 CARP – CAR + Parking
32 PERISHER – double definition
34 EXTERNAL – ETERNAL around X
35 TAKEN IN HAND – TAKEN IN + HAND
36 SIDE STREETS – sounds like “side’s treats”
37 WELL-DRESSED – double definition (refers to the well-dressing tradition in some Derbyshire villages)
40 ENAMELLER – hELLER around NAME
42 ANALOGOUS – A LOGO in AN US
43 ABSOLUTE – double definition; refers to Sir Anthony Absolute in the play “The Rivals” by Sheridan
44 PIERCES – PIECES around Road
46 GENEVA – (a + Ven + e.g.), reversed
47 LEASED – pLEASED
51 BEAN – BEANo – beano is an abbreviation for a “bean-feast”

One comment on “Times Jumbo 1014”

  1. 94′, but got there in the end. DNK SCREW in 36, but then it would seem that’s just as well. My heart sank at 37d, as I had no idea what was going on, but checkers and the definition saved the day, although it was my LOI. Rather liked 39ac.

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