Jumbo 1106 – Saturday August 23rd

Author   fathippy2Posted on Categories Weekend Cryptic
Sorry for the tardiness of this. Went to a wedding Sunday lunch and only just recovered Tuesday lunchtime! I may have got away with it if it wasnt for the meddling kids otherwise known as the Bank holiday Jumbo, published only two days later than this. The upshot is the later Jumbo was blogged before mine and so alarm bells rang. This one is standard fare, no surprises. Some of the clues were a little clumsy I thought, although that was balanced a bit by some refreshing tricks/wordplay not seen before. didnt know FURBELOW but was guessable.

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Across
1 LOSER – LOS = the (plural) in spanish, ER = sovereign. Makes a welcome change from “EL”
4 ALKALINITY – (in italy)* after (t)ALK
9 BERBER – BE(e)R = porter, half-heartedly, then double it.
14 ARTY-FARTY – F(ight) between two lots of (p)ARTY, for Tories and Lib Dems, lacking leadership 🙂
15 CORROBORATION – ORATION = speech, after C = conservative, OR, ROB=mug
16 TANGELO – TAN = brown, GEL = stick, O(sier), the cross is as in hybrid.
17 IN TRANSIT – (train isnt)*
18 TULIP – LI = lithium, inside TUP = sheep
19 CHAMPION JOCKEY – cryptic definition
22 ACCLAIM – ACCRA with R moving to L, then I’M
25 FIFTY-FIFTY – LEVEL without EVE (night before) is LL or fifty-fifty in roman numerals. Whole is just “fairly”.
27 UNITED STATES – UNITED = all collated, STATS = data, around E = european.
30 MANOR – sound like MANNER = style (cf “to the manor born”)
31 CIRCULAR – sort of double def, in that ROUND=circular, and a circular can be delivered through the letterbox = rectangular slot. Bit clumsy for me.
32 VESPUCCI – reverse hidden in (h)ICCUPS EV(entually).
35 SWELLING – SING = talk (as in give information), around WELL=source of water
36 ABROGATE – GATE = all in attendance, after A BRO = relative
37 LINEN – LINE = row, N = new
39 ANALYTICALLY – (call a litany)* then (wh)Y
41 VINTAGE CAR – (gave in trac)*
43 ESCAPEE – the two keys are ESCAPE, and E (musical key). Did spend a short time trying to justify the key “APEE” !
45 HOWS YOUR FATHER – double def
48 BASEL – BASE = poor, (sou)L
49 ANDROMEDA – AN, DROMEDA(ry)
51 ARBITER – A, R = right, BITER = angry dog
53 ZERO TOLERANCE – tolerating zero could be interpreted as enduring love
54 INTERPOSE – (step in or)*
55 TELLER – double def
56 HYPERSONIC – hidden in (unhealt)HY PERSON I C(onceded)
57 TASTE – double def

Down
1 LEAN TO – LENTO = slowly, around A(rtefacts)
2 SIT ON THE FENCE – double def, slightly cryptic I guess.
3 RIFLE – double def
4 A PRIORI – PRIOR = friar, inside (pr)AI(se) which is the “midst” of praise
5 KEY SIGNATURE – (art genius)* after KEY = important
6 LOCATION – LION = feline, around O = duck, and CAT = pussy. If I am honest, I am not sure why “nuzzled by” suggests inclusion of, but it couldnt be anything else really.
7 NORMA – NORMA(l) – slightly different way of cluing a shortening of a word here. “Superior to a” refers to all those letters up until A
8 TROTSKYITE – OT = turned to, SKY = shade of blue, all inside TRITE = dull. Whole is just “red”
10 ELASTIC – SALE = transaction, reversed, then TIC(k) = endless credit
11 BRILIANT – BRILL = fish, then (a tin)*
12 RUN UP – RUN = manager, UP = winning
13 PORTLAND CEMENT – PORT = drink, (neednt calm)*
20 MAYORALTY – ORAL = test, in MAY = springtime, T(hankfull)Y = thankfully ends
21 KANGAROO – double def, although almost counts as a straight clue, given the context
23 MISSIONARY – IS, SON = boy, outside I = one, all inside MARY
24 OFF MESSAGE – OFF = rotten, MESS = shambles, AGE = time
26 INCONSIDERABLE – (liberian second)*
28 TOP FLIGHT – double def
29 FURBELOW – didnt know this word – it’s a fringe or border of a skirt. FUR BELOW, would suggest “under which is hair”
33 CONSCIENTIOUS – (cousin notices)*
34 CAPITULATION – Recapitulation, with out the RE at the front
38 CATHODE RAY – ODER = river, inside CATHAY = china
40 ANCESTRAL – (crest)* inside of ANAL = fussy
42 PYRENEES – SEEN = viewed, reversed, under PYRE
44 PALETTE – PA = old man, LETTE(r) = character, not quite
46 FRANTIC – ANTIC = trick, under F(i)R(e)
47 BREEZE – double def
48 BIZET – BET = speculation, around I = current, Z = unknown
50 OUNCE – O = old, UNC(l)E = relative minus L for large
52 BERET – BEET = root, around (drawe)R

2 comments on “Jumbo 1106 – Saturday August 23rd”

  1. I wrote ‘greengage jam’ on my piece of paper to remind myself that the reason I didn’t put a finishing time was because I solved this in fits and starts while watching said jam boil away.

    Fairly neat writing and no Tippex would seem to confirm that the crossword may have caused me fewer problems than the jam. As for the ‘furbelow’, that reappeared in last Sunday’s Telegraph cryptic crossword – I knew I’d seen it somewhere recently.

    Thanks for the review.

  2. Glad that I completed this in good time.Came across the above word in a Telegraph puzzle by I think Jay sometime last year.
    CHADWICK ONG’ARA,
    NAIROBI.

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