Jumbo 1022

Posted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
I was struck by technological disaster last week, as my laptop died shortly after I posted Tuesday’s blog (and I am obviously thankful that it was shortly after, rather than shortly before). As we were on holiday, and didn’t fancy the 70 mile round trip to the nearest retailer, I decided to enhance my peaceful country retreat by spending a few days away from a keyboard. Anyway, holiday is sadly over, but I now have a new machine, so I will attempt to get this blog up when I can, while familiarising myself with Windows 8. Spoiler alert: we’re not getting on very well so far…

(EDIT) And there’s the double whammy, as I am being refused entry to the Crossword Club, so now I can’t even see the puzzle. Checking the date, it would seem that my subscription is due, so presumably my recurring payment has failed to recur.

(EDIT 2) I am back in the Crossword Club, after a break while my payment presumably processed in its own time. However I have now just lost my first draft version after starting this blog in earnest, so my blood pressure has returned to pre-holiday levels already.

In short, I just want to get this behind me, so forgive me if I appear tetchy at any point – luckily this puzzle was a straightforward solve, just under the half hour, so I don’t think there’s much to be explained at any great length from a technical pov. Very witty and elegant puzzle, though; I know one shouldn’t try to guess at solvers’ identity with the Times, but the odd slightly risqué clue makes one wonder if it’s an Anax, which would explain it. Whoever it is, their work has certainly calmed me after my stressful weekend, so I applaud their work.

With Jumbos, which attract a far smaller audience than daily puzzles, I generally confine myself to discussion of answers which I think might be a) less straightforward for inexperienced or non-UK based solvers, or b) especially elegant / questionable. However, as always, if a particular clue is not discussed, please feel free to raise it in comments for explanation or discussion.

Across
1 COMPARTMENT – PARTY in COMMENT. Lovely surface, which one could place in the mouth of a disgruntled Tory backbencher.
17 STATION – TAT in SION (aka ZION), the mount outside Jerusalem. Did I mention how much I hate the tendency of “train managers” these days to inform “customers” how we are “arriving into” our next “station stop”? I think I did.
21 EINSTEIN – EIN=one and STEIN=beer mug in German. Lovely self-referential clue.
23 TYRE – well-concealed double def.
34 ROYAL ENGINEERS – shortened to R.E., the soldiers are literally found in gREece.
41 SHIED – SHIELD minus the Line.
43 LOGE – reverse hidden in thE GOLd.
45 SWAGMAN – A.G.M. in SWANKING. To accompany the coolibah we had not long ago.
50 MYSTIC – MY STICK. A cry for help?
53 AGAMA – MA behind the AGA. Not common, but the exposition is very clear.
54 HAIL FELLOW WELL MET – (WHOWILLTELLFEMALE)*; I always thought it meant more on the bluff, overly hearty side, rather than “gushy”, but I think it covers a multitude of sins.
56 NUTCRACKERS – amusing surface for the cryptic def. in these straitened economic times.
 
Down
2 MERLE – sumMER LEaves another slightly obscure animal, but hard to miss.
3 ANTIGUA – ANT 1 GUARDS.
4 TWEE – TWEET.
6 THE LIFE OF RILEY – double def. Nobody appears to know who the eponymous Riley was who led such a notably carefree existence, but the car manufacturer was well-known to me as another native of Coventry (and founder of yet another factory which was a landmark of my childhood, but has vanished today).
7 HECKLING – HECK=hell + FLING minus Female.
10 CAFTAN – AFT in sCrAwNy; somewhat unusual variant spelling, but again unambiguous from the wordplay.
11 REALITY TELEVISION – (ISITONERELATIVELY)*. Another splendid long anagram.
12 MALINGERERS – (A.M.)rev. + LINGERERS &lit.
18 LIMOUSIN – LIMO + U.S. + IN, slightly confusing because a LIMO is a smaller LIMOUSINE, of course, and supposedly means “in the style of Limousin”.
20 THEREBY HANGS A TALE – (AGENTBLATHERSYEAH)* and a final corking anagram. A phrase regularly used in Shakespeare, though for once he didn’t actually create it.
24 MANDATES – the formula to make “mates” is very simple, it’s “combine M AND ATES”.
32 DILATING – LATIN in DIG. I sometimes wonder if I should have become a High Court judge, after going to the trouble of learning the Latin.
33 MILORD – OR(=gold) in MILD.
34 RATTLESNAKE – RATTLES NAKED. Cover that bottom, oo er.
42 SMALL FRY – the most common use of the nounal form is probably in Northern Ireland, as the “Ulster fry” is the general equivalent of the full English.
51 TEMPE – TEMPLE minus the Lake. A valley well-known to classicists and crossworders alike.
52 EWER i.e. how a Bow-based Cockney stevedore might refer to a HEWER(=cutter).

3 comments on “Jumbo 1022”

  1. I discovered the same problem with my Times Crossword Club Account just 20 minutes ago (being greeted with the message ‘Your current Times account does not allow access to this website’ when I tried to log in) and sent off an email to ‘customer service’. In the meantime, reading of your situation has helped calm my own nerves, so know that some good has come out of your suffering, Tim!
  2. Enjoyable crossword, not too hard, no queries or complaints. I don’t think it was by Anax though, he would not perpetrate clues such as.. well various, but say 52dn.
    Commiserations re your IT problems Tim, hope they are all sorted now

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