Jumbo 1146

Author   fathippy2Posted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
A few unknown ideas slowed this one down – SANS CULOTTE, MILLS BOMB, MAMEE, whilst other parts went in more routinely. There were a few quirky clue types, the riddle of SCALABLE, the linked clues at 6D and 7D, and the great surface in 32A. Not sure about the homophone at 43A though
Across
1 DESIGN – DE=mexican “of”, SIGN=wave
5 DISSIPATED – IS=ones, SIP=drink, inside DATED=old hat
10 CUBED – double def, somewhat counterintuitively
14 SINGLETON – SING and LET ON, both mean squeal. Whole is the lone card (club)
15 FLOOR EXERCISE – EXCISE=duty, around ER=queen, after FLOOR=landing
16 VICOMTE – VICE=failing, around (b)O(n)M(o)T(s)
17 COCTEAU – reversed hidden (mant)UA ETC OC(casionally)
18 EARLDOM – EAR=attention, LD=lord, OM=honour
19 WELSH GRAND NATIONAL – (ws holland argentina)*
21 ISLA – ISLA(m)
24 LOTUS – &lit, LOT=set, US=over the pond
26 ENTHUSED – TENTH USED=90% unemployed, remove the head
27 AD LIBBER – A DR, outside (bible)*
29 OPEN AND SHUT – O=old, PEN=enclosure, AND=with, S=small, HUT=shed
30 SATIN STITCH – SAT=rested, INST=this month, ITCH=long
32 BARBARY APES – A P=piano, in BAR,BAR = pubs, YES=indeed. Obscure definition of “Rock locals”
35 FIGHTING FIT – FIGHTING=wrestling, FIT=match
37 ALL CLEAR – (caller L a)*
39 ATTENDER – TA=grateful response, reversed, TENDER=give
40 EAT UP – (b)EAT UP
43 DUEL – apparently DUEL sounds like JEWEL. bit of a push for me.
44 THE BIRDS AND THE BEES – cryptic definition
47 ART FORM – ARM=member, around R, OFT reversed
48 ON A WHIM – (MAN I WHO)*
50 AUDIBLE – AU=gold, DIE=stamp, around BL=british library
51 SAN BERNARDINO – (ron brained)* after SAN=hospital
52 MILLS BOMB – MILL’S=powder’s, BOMB(e) for the pineapple shaped grenade
53 POOCH – COOP=home for Orpington (chicken), reversed, H=husband
54 MIDI SYSTEM – MI=note, D(a)ISY, STEM=staunch
55 TRANNY – transistor radio or transvestive (TV)

Down
1 DISAVOWAL – DI’S, then sounds like A VOWEL = I, for one.
2 SANS CULOTTE – (at countless)*. Needed checkers as didnt know the term
3 GALUMPH – U LAG= universal delay, reversed, MPH = speed. Def is “bound”
5 IONIC – I(c)ONIC
6 SAFE CONDUCT – SA=it, on top of FE=iron, CONDUCT=lead
7 PROTECTRESS – PRO=expert,TEC=detective, TRESS=lock, definition needs to be taken in conjunction with the previous clue
8 TURN UPON – O(ppositio)N, after TURN-UP
9 DIXIELAND – IX=nonet, inside DIE=end, LAND=light
10 CURATE – CU=copper, RARE=not easy to trace
11 BLIND AS A BAT – (bad in basalt)*
12 DREAM – (ban)D, REAM=leaves
13 ST GEORGES DAY – TS, reversed, GEORGES=Eliot’s, D=daughter, AY=indeed
20 NOT A HOPE – (on the o pa)*
22 AIRSHOT – AIRS=shows, HOT=stolen
23 PITTANCE – PITTA=bread, N(i)CE
25 SCALABLE – riddle like cryptic definition
28 STEGODON – NO, DO=function, GETS=becomes, all reversed
29 ON BOARD – double def
31 NATURE TRAILS – (set in a rural)* with (environmen)T added in
33 RALLENTANDO – hidden in gene(RAL LENT AND O)verspent
34 SATURNALIAS – SA=south america, TURN=go, ALIAS=another name
35 FREE SCHOOLS – (he closes for)*
36 FATHER BROWN – FATHER=pop, BROWN=to toast
38 AD HOMINEM – AD=bill, HOM(e)=in, mostly, outside of MINE=rich source
41 POSTER BOY – POST=after, ER=hesitation, BY=close to, around O=love
42 ABHORRED – ABH=crime against the person, OR=men, RED=bloody
45 END USER – ENDURES = goes on, swapping R and S
46 JOSEPH – PE=gym, reversed, inside JOSH=rib
47 AESOP – (h)A(d) (b)ES(t) (c)OP(e)
49 MAMEE – M(y) A(i)M (h)E(r)E

6 comments on “Jumbo 1146”

  1. I was wondering just what 55ac was; a brilliant clue, only I didn’t know TV was an abbreviation for transvestite. Also DNK 30ac, 54ac, 49d. And if that’s the explanation for 43ac, I’d say that’s a homophone too far; and is that pronunciation RP? Especially liked 1d, 19ac, 26ac, 32ac
  2. This was a pig for me – too many unparsed and sometimes a little too clever by half for my liking (e.g. 1a &24a), so thanks to Fathippy for a difficult job.
    Never come across MAMEE except in Mrs. Brown’s Boys, which is completely different of course.
    And I agree DUEL is a pretty poor for a homophone (DEFINITELY not RP!)
  3. I’ve been waiting for this to explain ‘lotus’ and ‘scalable’ to me, and I’m afraid I’m still in the dark.
    Please could someone elucidate for me, in words of one syllable?
    I know a wall being scalable would be easier to climb, so that’s the ‘more scalable’ part. Aha! – does it mean that if it was scalable, that would be less wall there to get over? I think I may have twigged, but I’m not impressed by the clue.
    ‘Lotus’ still underwhelms me. I worked it out from the word-play, but the definition boils down to ‘what’s’. Does it mean one could plant a lotus across the pond? – how feeble!
    Is that what &lit. stands for? I have seen it explained somewhere, but I can’t remember it – now it’s myself being feeble!
    1. My take on SCALABLE was that it was playing on ‘scale’=climb and ‘scale’=measure, a scale allowing of more or less of whatever the unit measured is. Didn’t care much for either clue myself.
  4. Re 55a,anyone remember Danny’s tranny in the Dandy in the 70s?Sadly,the comic is no more.(ONG’ARA,NRB,KENYA)

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