Nice easy solve this one, did not know the ESPRIT in 54A, but the letters were there from the anagram. May well have struggled with 36D, had the same clue not come up recently, as it may be considered a bit obscure.
Across | |
1 | KILIMANJARO – KILO, outside of I MAN, JAR. Whole is just “Peak” |
7 | TRANSFORMER – TRA(i)NS, FORMER=old. |
13 | CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH – CLEAN=simply, L=line, inside BILL OF HEATH (Prime Minister) |
14 | CAKED – double def, with the slightly cryptic SPONGED=made of sponge=like a cake, nicely doubling up for the surface read. |
15 | SISKIN – IS reversed, then SKIN = the largest organ |
16 | POSITRON – POSIT = put forward, then NOR, reversed |
17 | ORINOCO – OR=gold, then (COIN)*, then O=nothing |
19 | ATTENTION – double def |
21 | HANDSOME – If you don’t give it all away, you “HAND SOME” |
23 | BETA – BET=risk money, A=answer |
25 | TRENT – TREN(d), (wes)T |
27 | PRECIS – Russia became the Commonwealth of Independent States, so it could be described as Pre C.I.S. |
28 | GRAND OPERA – GRAN=relative, DOPE=fool, R=runs, A |
30 | DRIFTERS – double def |
31 | CHRISTOPHER FRY – Kit=christopher, Fry=cook |
34 | TAKING DOWN A PEG – A peg is a word for a small alcoholic drink |
35 | CRITICAL – CRITIC = reviewer, L=left, around A=article |
38 | MAINSPRING – MAIN=sea, and SPRING=well are both sources of water |
40 | MAKE DO – double def |
41 | CARGO – CAR=vehicle, GO=journey, whole is “hold contents” |
43 | SIKH – sounds like SEEK = go after |
44 | ECHELONS – (onesel)* around CH=church |
45 | COALFIELD – IF reversed, inside ALE, all inside COLD |
48 | QUARTAN – AN(y) after QUART |
49 | SEASONED – hidden in (moro)SE AS ONE D(oes) |
50 | ORACLE – O=old, RACE=people, around L=pounds |
53 | AZERI – A1 = main road, around ZER(o) = almost nothing |
54 | ESPRIT DE LESCALIER – (peter sellers, i acid)* – literally the “wit of the stairs” used to describe the coming upon a witty riposte when it is too late to use it |
55 | EAST GERMANY – EASTER, MANY, around G |
56 | RESPECTABLE – RE:SPECTACLE, with one change being C to B |
Down | |
1 | KICK-STARTED – one of those hard to classify clues, not really a cryptic definition, more a straight def with a qualifying rider slightly tongue in cheek. |
2 | LEEDS – D=died inside LEES=dregs for the city that seems to crop up almost once a month in a cryptic somewhere! |
3 | MANSION – MAN’S IN=at home around O |
4 | NAIL – NIL=love, around A=article |
5 | ALL ROUNDER – tongue in cheek cryptic def |
6 | OFF WITH HIS HEAD – Queen Elizabeth beheaded the Earl of Essex, and the Queen of Hearts in Alice and Wonderland wished the same of most people. |
7 | THE BRONX – HEBRON, then X=vote, all after T=time |
8 | ALL IN – (f)ALLIN(g) |
9 | SCHOOLMAN – (has monocl)* |
10 | ORCHID – OR=men, CHID=rebuked |
11 | MAKE ONESELF SCARCE – double def |
12 | RADIO GALAXY – RADIO= BBC, perhaps, XY = axes, holding GALA=festival |
18 | SIMPERED – SIMP(l)E = like Simon, not left. RED=embarrassed |
20 | THE PICKWICK PAPERS – PICK=choose, WICK=something to burn, inside THE PAPERS=whats printed each day |
22 | SPRITE – P(laced) R(ink) inside SITE |
24 | DOMESTIC – DOME=head, STIC(k)= a lot of physical force |
26 | TITANESS – AT IT, reversed, then NESS = head |
29 | NINE DAYS WONDER – (daisy renowned n)* |
32 | PERSONAL – RE, reversed, SON, inside PAL |
33 | TWINGE – TINGE=suspicion, around W=with |
34 | TIMES SQUARE – this crossword grid is a square in the Times. |
36 | LLOYD GEORGE – from the song “Lloyd George knew my father” |
37 | SEYCHELLES – sounds like SAY SHELLS |
39 | RACONTEUR – (race to run)* |
42 | MORALITY – MOR(t)ALITY |
46 | FAR EAST – FARE=manage, AS=when, T=temperature (minimally) |
47 | STRING – R=run, in STING=sharp pain |
49 | SEPIA – (pea is)* |
51 | CLIMB – C(lean) LIMB=part of body |
52 | ISLE – (a)ISLE |
Thanks for the blog.
I didn’t have a clue about the song but it wasn’t really necessary.
Other similar use covers the navy – OS, RM etc, and even police, detectives etc etc