Jumbo 1041 – Saturday June 22nd

Author   fathippy2Posted on Categories Weekend Cryptic
I found this a very good offering. Took a lot longer than usual, but not from obscure stuff, but clever misleading clue structures. That which I didnt know didn’t negatively impact the solve, so the wordplay or second part offered a safety net. Not sure I quite understand 35D so any suggestions welcome.

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Across
1 EISENHOWER – (Str)IKE is “strike, not half” and IKE was the nickname of Dwight Eisenhower. Great clue to start with, with the lift and separate of General and Strike. I am not sure on the capital S, whether this helped to mislead or not or whether it should be capitalised, but this is a minor quibble.
6 UNDERTAKINGS – UNDER = subordinate, TA = thanks, KINGS = college
14 IRRITATED – (cha)IR = “spilt tea in chair”, RITA TED = girl and boy. Nice little word play for “IR”
15 TIKKA – KIT = Christopher Marlowe, from the east implies reversal, then K,A = king, ace = honours
16 OPTIMUM – OPT = plump (as in pick), I = single, MUM = parent.
17 COME OFF SECOND BEST – COME OFF = stop taking, SECOND = back, BE(a)ST = heartless brute.
18 HAREM – hidden in (sheik)H ARE M(arginalised)
19 RESTART – REDSTART = bird, without D = duke
21 SIGNAC – hidden in (de)SIGN AC(ceptable). Paul Signac was the artist.
22 FRANKLIN – F = fine, RANKLIN(g) = annoying, reduced. I did not know the mediaeval word for a landowner, just assuming it was a cheeky reference to the founding father of the same name!!
24 TREASON – (casemen)T, then REASON = motive
26 DEALINGS – D(ecelerate) and S(lowly) around EALING = London borough. The whole is just “truck”
27 CALASH – C = conservative, LASH = whip, around A = first class. Is it just me, or are there an above average number of words for carriages in crosswords, then another comparable everyday item. Perhaps they happen to fit grids well, your STANHOPES and LANDAUS and the like.
30 DANIEL DEFOE – (deadline)* then OF reversed, E = english, for the writer.
32 STIPENDIARY – ST = stumped, the confession is “I PEN DIARY” with reference to DIARY of a NOBODY.
33 RHODE ISLAND – The centre of American is “RI”, whose expansion gives “RHODE ISLAND”. Nice little clue, needed some checkers!
35 COORDINATOR – (or doctor in a)*
37 ROTATE – RATE = judge, around OT = books, for “turn”
38 ACRIMONY – (f)I(l)M = film regularly, inside A CRONY = a chum
39 DIBASIC – D = deuterium, I = iodine, BA = barium, SIC = so. Def is “like sulphuric acid”
42 FEASIBLE – (bas-relief)* without the R = sculptor’s last. The whole is just “On”
44 WYVERN – V(isible) inside WYE = river, RN = royal navy = sailors
46 STOMATA – MAT = tangle, inside STOA = colonnade, for the “openings”
48 COLIC – COL = officer, then I(gnoring) C(hest), for the pain
49 EMANUEL SWEDENBORG – (urge on amble)* around SWEDEN (his counry of origin). Did not know this character, but was obvious with checkers in place.
51 IMAMATE – ITE(m) = short article, around MAMA = mummy
52 TETRA – TEA = meal, around T(ende)R = extremely tender.
53 ANTIVIRAL – (voltarian)* without the O = old.
54 NATURAL FIBRE – NATURAL = not far fetched, FIB = story, RE = about. Silk is an example of such, hence the “say” at the end.
55 TENDERISER – TENDER = carer, IS = is, ER = first lady (queen)

Down
1 EVISCERATED – (n)EVIS = A certain Ben, heading off. CE = church, RATED = deserved.
2 SCRIM – SC = that is, RIM = edge
3 NATIONALS – (l)ION = cat, not large, inside NATAL’S = old province’s. Whole is “citizens”
4 OUT OF IT – OUTFIT = group, around O = nothing, for “wasted”
5 ENDLESS – END = object, LESS = not so. whole is “endless”
7 NAKED LADIES – double def.
8 ELATED – (r)ELATED = “as family members, run away”
9 TROTTERS – TOTTERS = is not stable, outside R = right
10 KITCHEN GARDEN – (and thick green)*
11 NUMERAL – (lemur, an)*
12 SEMI-MONTHLY – MIMES = entertainers, upset=reversed, ON=about, L=line inside THY=your. Whole is “periodical”
13 STRONG GALE – (anglers got)*
20 STERN POST – POST = job, with STERN = firm, the “supporter on board” is a part of a boat
23 AGRIMONY – ACRIMONY (answer to 38A) with the C=century replaced by G=good. Whole is “plant”
25 NUDIST – cryptic definition
26 DEFIANCE – D(eclar)E, FIANCE = intended
28 ANASTASIA – AS inside (f)ANTASIA = film, missing capital
29 NEEDED – NEED(l)E = pointer, left out, on D(esk)
31 ELECTRIC CHAIR – (cleric ate rich)*
33 RAREFACTION – RARE= very good, FACTION = group of dissenters
34 DAISY CUTTER – DAISY = girl, C = old, UTTER = say
35 CLOVER LEAF – (level of car)* – not sure I totally understand the semi &lit, on looking up afterwards, the only obscure thought I have is that there is a motorway junction or interchange formation that looks like a clover leaf ???
36 RECTANGULAR – C(harlie), TAN = brown, inside REGULAR = uniform.
40 BLOWN OVER – BLOWER = phone, around NOV = month.
41 BLUEBELL – BELL = something that warns = warner !! after BLUE = melancholy
43 AT LEAST – AT LAST = “after much delay”, E=european inside
45 NEWGATE – NEW = green, G = goddess, initially, ATE = worried, for the prison
46 SEDATED – SEATED = sitting, around D = daughter
47 MAI TAI – MA = master, IT = it, A I = starts to A(ct) I(mmediately)
50 ORRIS – (m)ORRIS. William Morris was a victorian designer.

One comment on “Jumbo 1041 – Saturday June 22nd”

  1. Lost track of the time, but no doubt over an hour as usual. A cloverleaf in the US is an elaborate interchange between two freeways or highways to avoid actual intersection; so I suppose it could allow a driver to change level, although normally the roads are on the same level. DNK STIPENDIARY in this sense, or ST=stumped (cricket, I suppose?); which made this one of my last in. Thanks for explaining 1ac and 33ac, two more I was too dim to parse.

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