Jumbo 1131 – Saturday January 24th

Author   fathippy2Posted on Categories Weekend Cryptic
Above average difficulty, although this may have been personal as I did not know a few words/phrases. Last four in were Lantern Jawed, Lebensraum, Aha moment, and Teuton, mainly as was lacking in the basic vocab (Tenuto in the last case). Elsewhere there was some cleverly disguised cluing to add to the challenge.
Across
1 BIBLIOGRAPHER – (B,I,horrible gap)*
8 EXCALIBUR – EX=other half, once, then sounds like CALIBRE=gun rating
13 GRUFF – R=resistance, in GUFF=foolish talk
14 SKINNY DIP – double def, slightly cryptic/tongue in cheek
15 PANGAEA – PANG=painful emotion, A(r)EA. Whole is the orginial land mass that split into our continents today
16 INTEMPERANCE – ITEM=article, about N=northern, then E=english in PRANCE=spring
17 SEMI-WEEKLY – (likes my ewe)* – the anagrind being “shepherd”
18 EARFUL – double def
19 REFINISH – REF=judge, IN=during, (his)*
21 KNIGHT – cryptic def, knight being the “jumper” in chess, surface suggests a business context
24 SPELLBOUND – SPELL=period of time, BOUND=spring
26 TARAMASALATA – TATA=see you, around RAM=stuff, A SALA(d)
29 APEX – APE=mimic, X=by
30 DOCILITY – DO=perform, CI(vi)LITY = politeness less VI=six
31 MONETARY – MY (as in Oh brother!?!) around ONE TAR
34 TUTELAGE – TUT, GALE reversed, E
35 TOP-DRESS – double def
36 BOZO – B, (zoo)*
39 CHILD BENEFIT – cryptic def
40 POLITENESS – (is pole sent)*
43 INSTIL – hidden in (spa)INS TIL(es)
44 KEDGEREE – EDGER=trimming tool, inside KEE(n)= not quite sharp
45 SCOTER – SCO(o)TER = moped
49 ANCESTRESS – (d)ANCES, TRESS
51 ME GENERATION – MENTION=to speak of, EG=for example, ERA=age, included separately
53 TERRAIN – ER=monarch, in TRAIN=coach
54 AHA MOMENT – A HAM = radio operator, OMEN=sign, T(hats)
55 BASSO – BASS=fish, O=old
56 CAREERISM – CARE=concern, (miser)*
57 HUMAN INTEREST – HUNTER=predator, around MAN, I = two islands, then EST=established

Down
1 BAGPIPERS – (pig)*, PE=games, inside BARS
2 BLUSTER – ST inside BLUER
3 INFAMOUSLY – IN=popular, FAMOUSLY=way those who click get on.
4 GOSPEL – GO, SPEL(l)
5 ANIMATRONICS – I MATRON=carry on type, inside (cinmas)* which is Cinema less em
6 HANDCUFF – AND C inside HUFF
7 RUDE – RUDE and CRUDE have similar meaning
8 EXPRESSWAY – double def, first one a bit contrived in true xwd style
9 COPTIC – C,OPTIC
10 LANTERN JAWED – did not know this idea and needed all checkers to guess. One of those weak (IMO) cryptics which references a phrase by alluding to one of the words
11 BLACK – B=british, LACK=dont have. Second player is a chess reference
12 READY STEADY GO – READY=cash, STEADY=squeeze (partner), GO=game
20 NEAP TIDE – (deep aint)*
22 GUACAMOLE – AUG=month, reversed, CA=more or less, MOLE=blemish
23 DORDOGNE – DONE=finished, around R,DOG=track
25 ELECTRICS – ELECT=choose, RIC(h), S=society
27 ACOUSTIC – AC=current, OUST=get rid of, I/C
28 BLOOMING – BLOO(d)=most of family, MING=dynasty
29 ANTICLIMACTIC – AN=article, TIC, TIC = repeated habitual response, around LIMA, C
32 ALADDINS CAVE – (advance is)* around LAD
33 GET ONES EYE IN – Cryptic def, similar to the one referenced above where the allusion is BLINDER vs EYE
37 LEBENSRAUM – L(ik)E, BENS=highland peaks, A=area in RUM=odd. Didnt know the whole, but it seemed plausible. One of those enjoyable clues where you trust the wordplay with enough confidence to put in a word you dont know! Enjoyable as long as it is right that is !!
38 DESCRAMBLE – D, ESC(ape), RAMBLE
41 STRUNG OUT – RUNG=step inside STOUT=brave
42 FREE FORM – hidden in (o)F REEF OR M(udflat)
46 TRIESTE – TRIES, T(h)E
47 BRUNEI – BE=take place, I, outside RUN=operated
48 TEUTON – TENUTO, with the N dropped
50 CURER – CUR(l), ER=I dont know
52 RASH – RAH around S

7 comments on “Jumbo 1131 – Saturday January 24th”

  1. We seem to have missed a jumbo blog or two lately.. what happened to 1130, I wonder?

    Enjoyed this one, some excellent clues such as 12dn in particular

  2. I enjoyed this one, too, although–or because–it seemed more difficult than many Jumbi. I put 32d in without thinking (although it was my 2d to LOI), but did Aladdin have a cave? The only one I remember is Ali Baba’s (well, it wasn’t his, really). DNK 35ac or 33d. Wondered about MY=brother! LOI LEBENSRAUM.
    1. It’s the magic treasure-cave where he obtained his lamp, and the name has been has been adopted by countless junk shops in an attempt to fool the public into thinking there might be treasure within.
      1. Odd; my memory–and it’s been milennia since I read the Arabian N–was that a passing peddler offered new lamps for old. Somehow I don’t think this is going to send me back to the source.

        1. Yes indeed, but that was the wicked Avabanana trying to get the famous lamp away from Aladdin after Aladdin had used the magic ring to get out of the cave.  If he’d known what Ali Baba knew, Aladdin could have just said “open sesame”, but that would have spoiled the story
          Now you can put iy behind you,  where the audience can see it but you can’t.  O yes they can.

          1. Oh, and it wasn’t in the original Arabian Nights, so you wouldn’t know it from there anyway.

            Edited at 2015-02-10 06:09 am (UTC)

  3. Definitely a step in the trend for harder Jumbos. last week’s and this were harder still, and I still don’t know where my two errors in last week’s are. the suspense is killing me!
    Two (tricky to clue) dips in this one: does that constitute a theme?

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