Jumbo 1188

Posted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
Fairly straightforward, with any minor difficulties helped by crossing letters.

47A is interesting as, in my opinion, the solution can be made up in two different ways from the wordplay. I don’t know which was the setter’s intention.

Across
1 WHISTLE-BLOWER – (TO B(ritish) WELL WISHER)*
8 ASCERTAIN – AS = for instance, CERTAIN = sure
13 NOHOW – sounds like KNOW-HOW = proficiency
14 COMPETITION – CO(mpany) = business, PETITION = suit, around M(ale)
15 PRIOR – sounds like PRIER = nosy parker.
16 GEARS DOWN – GEAR = things, S(on), DOWN = not happy. Not an expression for a driving manoeuvre I am familiar with
17 LEWD – LED = ushered, outside W(ife)
18 LITERATE – L(ine), ITERATE = say again
20 ALLIED – ALL = everybody, (v)IED = struggled
21 JOHNNY-COME-LATELY – (JOLLY MAN THEY ONCE)*
24 SHOWPIECE – SHOW = musical, PIECE = composition
26 DIALECT – DICT(ionaries) = reference books, with 2/3 removed, around ALE = word for beer
27 REBEL – REEL = part of film, around B(ishop)
29 RED-LETTER DAY – RED = embarrassed, LETTER = character, alternate letters in DiArY
31 FELLOWSHIP – FELLOWS = senior members of college, HIP = with it
33 THREADBARE – THREE = small number, around A(ntiquate)D, and BAR = pub
35 QUANTUM LEAPS – (Q(uestion) UPSET ALUMNA)*
38 OLDEN – (g)OLDEN = halcyon
39 UNTWIST – UN = one (French), TWIST = dance
40 SPLENETIC – CITE = refer to, N(ew), E(nglish), LPS = records, all reversed
42 PEDAL STEEL GUITAR – (SATELLITE UPGRADE)*. Another unfamiliar one
44 HUMANE – HUE = character, around MAN = staff
47 COCKEYED – odd letters in ChOiCe, KEY = selected, ED(itor) = leading newspaperman. Alternatively oddly selected letters in ChOiCe, KEY = leading, ED(itor) = newspaperman
49 HERE – HER = a woman’s, (programm)E
50 EXPOSITOR – EX POST = former job, around I = one, O.R. = men
52 IDEAL – I = current, DEAL = understanding
53 UNDERCHARGE – (CAN DRUG HERE)*
54 IMBUE – initial letters in I(nequalities) M(ust) B(e) U(nfair) E(specially)
55 NISSEN HUT – IS, SEN = money, H(ospital), all in NUT = brazil
56 ENTOMOLOGISTS – cryptic definition, with spotted having two meanings
 
Down
1 WINE GLASS – WIN = succeed, E.G. = say, LASS = girl
2 ISHMAEL – (HAMS LIE)*. This answer also appeared in the normal Saturday Times crossword where the clue was a bit more complex
3 TOWNSPEOPLE – (POP, NOWT ELSE)*
4 ESCROW – (WORSE)* around C(atastrophe)
5 LEMON SOLE – LEMON = a person often disappointing, SOLE = one
6 WHEEL AND DEAL – (NEED WE ALL HAD)*
7 RAILWAYMAN – RAN = rushed, around I = one and MA = old woman, which in turn surrounds L(arge), WAY = road
8 AKIN – m(AKIN)g = creation
9 CONTINENTAL QUILT – CONTINENTAL = African, QUIT = desert, around L(eft)
10 RUPEE – hidden reversed in thuggEE PURportedly
11 AGITATE – ATE = worried, around G.I. = soldier and T.A. = army
12 NURSERY SLOPES – (SURELY PERSONS)*
19 FORESEEN – FORES = warnings, alternate letters in aEgEaN
22 ARROW – (h)ARROW = top school
23 BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH – BEAT = strike, ABOUT = connected with, THE BUSH = remote areas
25 ORDERED – double definition
28 BY HEART – BY = via, HEAR = judge, (cour)T
29 RETROSPECTION – (POETS CORNER I)*, around T(ime). I suppose “spent” is the anagram indicator?
30 RARITIES – R.A. = painter, RITES = solemn acts, around I = one
32 JUST LIKE THAT – JUST = really, LIKE = take a shine to, T(eam), HAT = bowler
34 ANNUL – ANNU(a)L = yearbook
36 LANGUISHING – LING = heather, around ANGUISH = pain
37 SINGLETREE – SINGLE = only one, TREE = elder, perhaps
40 SNARE DRUM – SNARED = caught, RUM = alcoholic drink
41 CLEARNESS – LEARN = find out, in S, SEC = a couple of seconds, reversed. Took a little time to parse this one
43 DICKENS – D(aughter), (s)ICKENS = repels
45 ANTIBES – ANTIS = people against, around B(ooz)E
46 APPEAL – APPAL = shock, around E(verton)
48 ELLIE – (w)ELLIE(s) = boots
51 EDIT – TIDE = course, reversed

6 comments on “Jumbo 1188”

  1. Does key = selected work, quite? I would say not but even if so, I used the alternative route..

    The gear down phrase is in ODO with the required meaning though I’ve never heard or used it myself.. sounds American, they like to verb nouns..

    Edited at 2016-01-30 03:02 pm (UTC)

  2. Spoiled what would have been a fast time for me (41:14) by typing 30d as RARETIES, God knows why. I wouldn’t have thought of key=selected, and parsed 47ac as Jerry did. Never heard of GEAR DOWN; I (I dare say, we) would say ‘downshift’. 35ac was puzzling to me because, at least when I did it online, the enumeration included a hyphen. DNK 42ac–glad to see I wasn’t alone–or 9d.
  3. The percussion section of an orchestra is sometimes known as a/the kitchen.

    Probably something to do with the sound of pots and pans being crashed around in a restaurant kitchen, or something like that.

    I can’t say I’ve ever come across it other than in cryptic crosswords.

  4. Thanks for explaining CLEARNESS which I did not understand. Your second possibility for COCKEYED was the route I took. Tks for blog.

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