Having just noticed Sotiras wonderfully rambling offering just before posting this, I will assure you all that this will be as brief as I possibly can make it, as befits a jumbo precis. As standard as they come, easy-ish, nothing starred for future discussion.
Across | |
1 | ISLAND – I, L=lake, inside SAND = smooth |
5 | CHANNEL – CHANEL with an extra N = little new, whole is “direct” as a verb |
9 | MEDIOCRE – MEDIC, RE, around O |
13 | EUROVISION SONG CONTEST – (innocent virtuosos egos)* – The cleverly scheduled fact that this came out on the day of the competition itself may have backfired as it made this a little too easy to get. It was a great surface and had it come at another point in the year when it wasnt fresh in peoples minds, the extra time spent getting the answer would have made it that much more appealing. Maybe thats just my view. |
14 | REPARTEE – REP = theatre, ART = skill, (failur)E twice over (repeatedly) |
15 | TORONTO – TONTO around OR = gold |
16 | RAISIN – RAISIN(g) |
17 | SEMICIRCLE – (t)IMES, reversed, then (cleric)* |
20 | DAS RHEINGOLD – (heads old ring)* – one of those semi &lit, which might have been &lit without the “this” which seems superfluous. DR was the first of the four “Ring” operas. |
23 | MOSS – MO=second, SS=ship |
24 | CONSOMME – CON = study, M=medium, inside SOME = a certain. |
26 | PUMP IRON – PUMP = question, I, ON = about, around R = right |
29 | MENAGE A TROIS – (animates goer)* – one of those where the enumeration lends a big hand |
30 | DISINHERIT – I’D reversed, SIN = vice, HER = girl’s, IT = allure |
32 | MAINTAINED – MAIN = principal, TA = cheers, IN ED = education |
34 | DIALLING TONE – cryptic definition |
36 | LEINSTER – (SENT IREL)* |
38 | NINETEEN – NI, EEN, after NET = goal. The whole is “almost score” as in nearly twenty. |
39 | TROY – TRY = go, around O = old |
41 | ELECTRIC HARE – (CLEAR HERETIC)* |
43 | WATER METER – A TERM = period of time, inside WET = dripping, then (pip)E, (sewe)R. |
44 | AT ODDS – A TO S is nineteen letters, stick in the two D’s and you get “Disagreeing”. I think this clue might have been a little too clever for its own good. The cross reference to another solution and the fact that its clue number (38), was twice the answer (19), and that two lots of A to S (ie 38 letters) would actually include two D’s seems to hint at something incredibly clever at work, however it doesnt quite all hang together on that level, suggesting it is a happy coincidence. If you took the whole thing at face value, maybe its a perfectly good clue, and I got caught up chasing something that never existed! |
46 | ORBITER – B = billions, I, inside RETRO, reversed |
48 | INCHOATE – OATE(r) = western, after INCH = some rainfall. Did not know the word OATER for a western, (named after the horse feed), but the checkers made the definition gettable. |
50 | ROME WAS NOT BUILT IN A DAY – (Italy dumb wait no reason)* – again the enumeration helps |
51 | BLACK ROD – L = line, inside BACK = support, ROD = staff |
52 | THEORBO – THE, ORB = globe, (rome)O |
53 | TURKEY – TURNKEY = one overseeing time, without N = new. |
Down | |
2 | SCENE – sounds like SEEN |
3 | ADRIATIC SEA – Split, the city in Croatia, overlooks the ADRIATIC SEA, so those living there may have this MAIN (sea) VIEW |
4 | DOVETAIL – (VOTE)* inside DAIL = parliament |
5 | CASTE – C = third class, ATE = worried, around S = second. Whole is “class”. Nice surface with lift and separate for “second class” |
6 | APOSTLE – POST, inside ALE |
7 | NOSTRADAMUS – NO STRAD = absence of instrument, then A SUM = problem, reversed |
8 | LINEN – LINE N would be an unspecified part of a verse |
9 | MICROCHIP – CROC = reptile, inside M = mark, on I HIP |
10 | DONOR – N = name, inside DOOR = entrance |
11 | OPENING TIME – OPENING = business opportunity, TIME = magazine. Whole is “When perhaps to start local (pub)” |
12 | RETRIAL – LATER = subsequently, around I, (lawye)R, all reversed |
18 | EXONERATE – (bas)E, (ta)X, ONE = individual, RATE = tax. Whole is “clear”. I am guessing a bit here that TERMS is short for TERMINALS or last letters of, but it is not something I have come across before ??? |
19 | CROUTON – CRON(y) around OUT |
21 | STEADFAST – (SATED)* , FAST = diet, not sure I quite agree with fast being diet, as one implies no food, the other a modification or reduction thereof, however I am sure there is an overlap in some specific sense. |
22 | IMMINENT – I’M N(o)T around MINE = source of gold (as opposed to “G” as you might first think!) |
25 | SNOWDONIA – (W(ales) AND I SOON)* |
27 | ONION DOME – ONION = head, DOM = priest, as in Dominican, (criticis)E |
28 | DECANTER – DETER around CAN |
31 | SALIENT – SALT = sailor, around IE, N |
33 | NON ACADEMIC – CAN = john, reversed inside (COMEDIAN)*. Good surface/wordplay combination. |
34 | DINNER TABLE – D(irectors), INNER = less exposed, TALE around B |
35 | TITLE HOLDER – TIT = bird, HE L, reversed, then OLDER |
37 | RECROSSED – (SCORES)* inside RED = radical |
40 | PRECINCT – RE = about, inside PC = policeman, then IN CT = court. Whole is US police area. |
42 | LITERAL – LITER = american spelling of litre, AL(l). Error here is the typo “literal” |
43 | WARRIOR – W = western, A = area, RRR = rivers, outside IO = 1/3 (IODINE) |
45 | SOWER – H = horse, removed from SHOWER = rain |
47 | BOOST – S = society, inside BOOT which is apparently an old word for profit, hence the use of “once” |
48 | INTRO – hidden, (jo)INT RO(lled) |
49 | THYME – sounds like TIME = bird, in the prison sense |
Edited at 2014-05-25 09:46 pm (UTC)
Chadwick Ong’ara,
Kenya.