Jumbo 1016 – Did I DIGIT? Nothing STELA, low to medium CRAIC.

Author   fathippy2Posted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
This would have been an extremely quick Jumbo for me, apart from my clanger at 3D which delayed matters for a good number of minutes. I think it was quick because the clues were very well signposted. There was little of the misleading definition or construction that usually makes for a testing clue, and hence many went in from definition and checkers alone. I quite liked 56A but thought 13D was dire! Overall there were more weak points than strong points, but it might make a good beginners grid.

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Across
1 DOCKING – DOING outside C(hec)K
5 BACK-PEDAL – slightly tongue in cheek, LEVER=pedal, so REVEL=back-pedal. Definition is “withdraw opinion (of)”
10 AWED – West and East (partners) inside AD=notice, definition is “in wonder”.
14 DONT MENTION IT – double definition
15 RIGHTEOUS – (this rogue)*
16 PILOT LIGHT – I LOT= I deal inside PLIGHT=pickle.
17 PEACEKEEPER – slightly odd double definition – I am sure I have missed something clever here, as I dont like the first half of the clue !
18 STELA – its pronounced as in STEALER=thief
19 ABOMINATED – ABATED = went down, holding (flea)M, I, all inside ON=leg.
21 SEARED – first half is “SEA RED”, def is “burned”
23 ARTICHOKE – OK=fine, inside HE=”for man to eat”, after ARTIC=lorry
25 TAMIL – TAIL = lower order batsman, M(istaken) coming inside
26 TURN OUT – URN = pot, inside TOUT = “whole” in french.
28 DISHNOURABLE – DISH=food ON OUR TABLE=”served up for us” with T=temperature dropped. Whole is just “Low”.
31 SENTINELS – (isnt seen)* outside L=pounds
33 PENTAGRAM – PENT=put in enclosure, RAM=sheep, outside AG=silver, for the star.
35 AFTER A FASHION – AFT=behind, ERA=time, FASHION=contrive.
37 SWALLOW – SOW=drop seed, around WALL=garden feature
38 CRAIC – &lit, first letters of C(asual) R(elaxation) A(nd) I(rish) C(onversation)
40 CARBUNCLE – CARB=nutrient, UNCLE(an)=dirty, with the article removed. Whole is “Boil”
42 THRUST – H=hospital in TRUST=NHS organisation, whole is “Force”
44 TINTORETTO – TIN=can, TORE=rent, then OTT (wholly excessive) reversed.
46 IGLOO – GLOO(m) = endless misery, after I.
48 ONCE REMOVED – double def
50 ELEVEN PLUS – double def (!!)
52 ON THE NAIL – ON=forward, THEN=after that, AIL=trouble, whole is “promptly”
53 GALLOWS HUMOUR – cryptic def
54 EARN – EAR=organ, (cha)N(cel), whole is “bring in”
55 TWISTIEST – TWIT=fool, holds STIES=pens, with the definition being “Very much the opposite of straight”
56 WESTERN – I liked this one! If you are “BOW”, we are “STERN” !!

Down
1 DIDO – DID=managed, O=ring, for the queen
2 CONTINENT – CONTENT = happy, around IN=home
3 I AM MONARCH OF ALL I SURVEY – Made a bit of a pigs ear of this, saw the enumeration and wrote in EMPEROR instead of MONARCH, which led to a few delays on the acrosses. I also assumed it to be a phrase of Alexander the Great, which is perhaps also what the surface suggests, but it was actually Alexander Selkirk from a poem by William Cowper.
4 GANGLIA – sounds like GANGLIER = more loosely built
5 BRING TO BEAR – BRING=fetch, OBE=medal, inside TAR=sailor
6 CONSTRICT – CON=jailbird, STRICT=showing no mercy
7 PUT UP – double def
8 DARDANELLES – DARES=risks, around DANE=european, LL=lines.
9 LUGGED – double def, “having ears” and “pulled”
11 WHOPPER – W=weight, on HOPPER=kangaroo, for the lie.
12 DISCREDIT – DID IT=was successful, around SCRE(w)= (most of) wages. Whole is “Shame”. Screw is slang for wages.
13 IT NEVER RAINS BUT IT POURS – didnt like the construction of this at all! there wasn’t a “surface” reading in any known fashion, and the clue looked out of place in a Times grid. The first half of the wordplay “the drought continues” gives IT NEVER RAINS, and the second is a “fill in the gap” type offering for a teapot which is not very good, BUT IT POURS. Horrible !!
18 STAND-UP – STAN (Laurel) being the thin one, and PUD being a generic fat one, reversed. Trouble is, for all the clever wordplay with the definition and enumeration it is clear at the outset.
20 ARM REST – ARREST = check, around M=mark.
22 STAND FOR – (frost and)*. Def is tolerate, anagrind is Wind
24 ON OUR OWN – OWN=admit, (h)ONOUR=reputation, not at first, superior indicates it goes above/first. Whole is “without your help”
27 OBELI – O BE! = please live!, first letters of L(ittle) I(nfants)
29 SANTA – SAN=hospital, TA=volunteers
30 BRABANT – BRAT=misbehaving youth, BAN=exclusion order, for the duchy in Holland/Belgium.
32 SAN REMO – O = old, MEN, AS = like, reversed around (dinne)R, for the port.
34 MACHIAVELLI – in MALL=shopping centre, CAVE=be wary of, around HI=greeting, then I=one. Whole is the “notorious schemer”
36 ROCK THE BOAT – one of those “reverse wordplays” where ROCK THE BOAT would be a clue for “to bathe”. Definition is “Create waves”, although the second half also works as a cryptic def, which makes me wonder why the clue did not just use the second half as an &lit which would have been much better ?? This is in line with my suggestion at the top that this is targetted at beginners.
37 SOTTO VOCE – SO=thus, (vote to C)* where C=conservative. Whole is “very quietly”
39 CORNEILLE – O’NEILL=playwright, around R=right, all inside CE=church, for another playwright.
41 CELLULOSE – CELL=small room, U=you, LOSE=get rid of, whole is “dietary fibre”.
43 RECITER – R(ead) E(xtremely) C(learly) then ITER(ated) = repeated half.
45 OVERSAW – OVERS = a spell of bowling, A W = a wicket.
47 IMPACT – PACT = agreement, after (f)I(r)M, whole is “Effect”
49 DIGIT – DIG IT = work on plot !
51 GRIN – GRIN(d)= hard work (finishing early)

5 comments on “Jumbo 1016 – Did I DIGIT? Nothing STELA, low to medium CRAIC.”

  1. Re 3dn – me too, caused loads of problems in that corner! I didn’t really parse 13dn, just stuck it in once I had a couple of crossing letters. Didn’t fully understand 36ac either, so thanks for that. Can’t help with 17ac, got it from the second half and checkers.

    51dn is interesting, as there was a similar clue for it in last week’s Saturday puzzle, in the same position (last down clue).

    28ac – You’ve got an O missing.

  2. 24:05 for me. Fortunately 3dn was familiar enough to go straight in without any problem.

    I think 17ac is a cricketing reference, with the slip’s neighbour being the (wicket)keeper.

    I actually didn’t mind 13dn, finding it wacky enough to raise a smile. And I disagree with you about 36dn: I think the second half on its own would be a very weak &lit.

    The one clue I’m not entirely sure about is 27dn (OBELI). I’m guessing that the signs of death are daggers, but perhaps I’m missing something more obvious.

    1. Apparently an obelus is the dagger/cross sign that when attached to an individual’s name means he/she is no longer with us. Not that I recall seeing it used very often.
  3. I’ve searched the world and the only port I can find is Sanremo in Italy … and it’s not exactly Rotterdam.
    Do others know better?
    1. I think Sanremo in Italy is the one the setter had in mind. The first note in its wikipedia entry explains the “San Remo” spelling. I suspect most ageing Brits (like me) normally spell it that way.

      Thanks for the info about “obelus”, BTW. I thought I’d looked in wikipedia, but I must have missed the relevant entry (here).

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