Jumbo 1207 May 14, 2016 – No offence

Author   galsprayPosted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
Still getting used to this blogging caper.  In my previous outing I managed to offend cat lovers, Emily Bronte fans and Dan Browne admirers (who knew?), so today I’ll be steadfastly avoiding anything controversial.

The few commenters on the Club forum seemed to agree that this one was pretty straightforward, but it took me about 43 minutes and from memory I had to “phone a friend” to get BASCULE.

So compliments to the setter and away we go.  Clues are in blue, with definitions underlined.  Anagrinds are bolded and italicised..

Across
1 Restraining devices a new police officer shows irritation about (9)
HANDCUFFS – A + N (new) + DC (police officer) inside HUFFS (shows irritation)
6 Burgundy girl lives outside US city with boyfriend (10)
BEAUJOLAIS – JO (girl) + IS (lives) outside LA (US city) with BEAU (boyfriend)
12 Authorise military engineers to return without prisoner (7)
EMPOWER – EMER [R.E.M.E. (military engineers) returned] outside POW (prisoner)
13 Strange thing, Moss being a composer (9)
SONGSMITH – (THING, MOSS)*
14 Requirements of Durham press chiefs? (5)
NEEDS – NE EDS (North-east editors)
16 Preserve jazz enthusiast’s domestic pet? (9,3)
MARMALADE CAT – MARMALADE (preserve) + CAT (jazz enthusiast)
I love cats, me.  What sort of a sick person wouldn’t?
17 Woman on telephone by river, say — an uncultured type (10)
PHILISTINE – Double homophone.  PHILIS (sounds like Phyllis) + TINE (sounds like TYNE)
19 New gift in Rangoon ultimately engendered bustling activity (5,3,6)
TOING AND FROING – [GIFT IN RANGOON + D (ultimately engendered)]*
22 Self-obsession of say, king deposed from European state (8)
EGOMANIA – EG (say) + OMANIA [Romania without the R (king)]
24 In east of France, a woman’s book (6)
ESTHER – EST (French for East) + HER (a woman’s)
25 Given slice of partridge pie, centenarians beam (5,5)
RIDGEPIECE – Hidden inside partRIDGE PIE CEntenarians
26 Eminent academic retires, saving time and energy (5)
NOTED – NOD [Don (academic) reversed] “saving” T (time) and E (energy)
29 Small island, small boat (4)
SARK – S (small) + ARK (boat)
30 Antipathy detective’s son displayed in gallery (8)
DISTASTE – DIS (detective’s) + S (son) inside TATE (gallery)
Tate is to gallery as Bikini is to atoll (see 51dn).
32 Leaving island, prepares model to show skill at keyboard? (9)
TRANSPOSE – TRANS [trains (prepares) leaving i (island)] + POSE (model)
Didn’t know this musical term meaning to change the key of a piece of music.
34 Girl embraces journalist with power — creepy one! (9)
MILLIPEDE – MILLIE (girl) “embraces” P (power) + ED (journalist)
35 Reportedly study sentence identifying N American singer (4-4)
REED-BIRD – REED [homophone (reportedly) of READ (study)] + BIRD (sentence, as in prison sentence)
36 Counterpart works, going east and west (4)
OPPO – OP (work) going both ways
39 A rabbit chasing stern of black canoe (5)
KAYAK – A + YAK (rabbit, as in chatter) “chasing” K (stern of black)
I kayaked to Rottnest a few months ago, quite a long paddle from Perth.  Mind you I wouldn’t try doing it from any other city.
40 Eventer, perhaps, first to withdraw in husky-sounding state (10)
HORSEWOMAN – W (first to withdraw) in HORSE [homophone for hoarse (husky)] + OMAN (state)
Not a centauress, just a woman on a horse.
42 It’s the solver that heard this call to attention (3-3)
YOO-HOO – Homophone for “you who” (the solver that)
44 Duck press employee initially glimpsed in lake? (8)
SUBMERGE – SUB (press employee) + G (initially glimpsed) in MERE (lake)
46 Pipsqueak, one sleeping alongside thieves? (14)
WHIPPERSNAPPER – NAPPER (one sleeping) alongside WHIPPERS (thieves)
48 Resort to its grain for a starter (10)
INSTIGATOR – (TO ITS GRAIN)*
49 It may temporarily halt character-forming activity (7,5)
WRITER’S CRAMP – Cryptic def
53 Exchange commercial vehicle (5)
TRUCK – Double def, the first one archaic
54 Transport doddery parent by river (9)
ENRAPTURE – (PARENT)* + URE (river)
55 Transmit outside broadcast in part of UK capital (7)
NAIROBI – AIR (transmit) + OB (outside broadcast) in NI (Norn Iron, part of UK)
56 Dashing type swallowing dope in sentimental film? (4-6)
TEAR-JERKER – TEARER (dashing type) “swallowing” JERK (dope)
57 Primitive woman, by the sound of it, and crazy! (9)
ELEMENTAL – ELE [homophone (by the sound of it) for Ella (woman)] + MENTAL (crazy)
Down
1 Some macho person, one with aspirations (5)
HOPER – Hidden inside macHO PERson
Not a word I’ve ever heard used, though no-hoper is quite familiar.  Or is that just me?
2 Modern points fitted at first at a slant (10)
NEWFANGLED – NEW (points, as in North, East, West) + F (fitted at first) + ANGLED (at a slant)
3 It’s the end for some that are hung! (8)
CURTAINS – Double def
4 Ditch first and last of soldiers captured by enemy (5)
FOSSE – SS (first and last of soldiers) “captured by” FOE (enemy)
5 Lied about trendy lass in community music event? (4-5)
SING-ALONG – SONG (lied) around IN (trendy) + GAL (lass)
Takes me back to all those nights we spent gathered round the piano, wishing someone could play it.
6 Infamous centre from which soldiers operate (4)
BASE – Double def
7 Descend from vehicle on fire? (6)
ALIGHT – Double def
8 TV pioneer involved in hard job — keeping register, that is (4,5,5)
JOHN LOGIE BAIRD – (IN HARD JOB)* “keeping” LOG (register) + IE (that is)
Immortalised in Australia by the annual Logie awards for televisual, um, excellence.
9 Pine, possibly, suffering such isolation? (12)
LONESOMENESS – The wordplay is a cryptic reference to Lonesome (or Lone) Pine.
My mind went immediately to Lone Pine, a WW1 battle which has significance for Australians but (I would imagine) few others.  More likely it refers to the 1936 movie, or the 1913 song, or the 1908 novel, The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine.  Equally likely is that I’ve completely missed the point, so feel free to discuss it amongst yourselves.
10 Single man welcoming European, one from Spain, perhaps (7)
IBERIAN – I (single) + BRIAN (man) “welcoming” E (European)
11 Main trauma overwhelming married needlewoman (10)
SEAMSTRESS – SEA (main) + STRESS (trauma) “overwhelming” M (married)
15 Depart quickly, finding bloodsucking fly trapped in seat (9)
SKEDADDLE – KED (bloodsucking fly) “trapped” in SADDLE (seat)
18 Enclose new pens in this place? (8)
ENSPHERE – (PENS)* + HERE (in this place)
20 Supporting Bury, participate in reciprocal action? (9)
INTERPLAY – PLAY (participate in) “supporting” INTER (bury)
21 Timid type in distant town initially, is he not? (5-5)
FAINT-HEART – AIN’T HE (is he not) in FAR (distant) + T (town initially)
There are other ways to clue FAR + T, but our Times setters aren’t that puerile.  I am.
23 Priest set up wager over charge for bony fish, perhaps (10)
VERTEBRATE – VER [REV (priest) set up] + TEB [BET (wager) over] + RATE (charge)
27 Seagoing vessel for both general and private use? (9)
TROOPSHIP – Cryptic def
28 A leggy vet I heed, oddly, and ogle? (4,3,4,3)
GIVE THE GLAD EYE – (A LEGGY VET I HEED)*
31 Harsh school unknown to admit certain native Americans (8)
SCREECHY – CREE (certain native Americans) inside SCH (school) + Y (unknown)
33 Blink and ogle, carrying choice item of footwear (6-6)
WINKLE-PICKER – WINK (blink) + LEER (ogle) “carrying” PICK (choice)
I wouldn’t equate wink with blink, but undoubtedly it’ll be supported in the usual sources.
34 What 11 might do as expedient? (9)
MAKESHIFT – A seamstress (11dn) might MAKE a SHIFT
37 Go with a rich pro, inaccurately describing mountains (10)
OROGRAPHIC – (GO + A RICH PRO)*
38 Royal supporter atop curved structure in thin fog (10)
MONARCHIST – ON (atop) + ARCH (curved structure) in MIST (thin fog)
(Remember Galspray, nothing controversial.  Don’t go banging on about the time you sat in front of a possible future King of Australia at a rugby world cup final and he was cheering loudly for THE OTHER TEAM!  That’s no reason to be anti-monarchist.  Yes, it underlines the ridiculousness of having a foreign head of state, but that’s another matter altogether).
Thanks.  How about “the Queen seems like a nice lady and she looks a bit like my Mum”?
(Yep.  Just leave it at that).
Ok.
41 Convenient, 36 having time to penetrate mystic symbol (9)
OPPORTUNE – OPPO (36ac) + T (time) “penetrating” RUNE (mystic symbol)
43 Alienate English saint called Egbert originally (8)
ESTRANGE – E (English) + ST (saint) + RANG (called) + E (Egbert originally)
45 Part of bridge made of copper in Swiss city (7)
BASCULE – CU (copper) in BASLE (Swiss city)
I needed help here.  Thought the city was Basel, and didn’t know what a bascule was.  Turns out it’s the counterbalancing thingy in bridges that lift and separate.
47 Whither our imports are bound, scattered round British port? (6)
TOBRUK – TO UK (whither our imports are bound) “scattered round” BR (British)
The UK is an island nation in northwestern Europe, in whose capital city London the Times crossword is based.  It is the 80th largest sovereign state in the world, and whilst it boasts a smaller population than, say, Tamil Nadu, it should be familiar enough to the experienced solver.
50 Subject of article: a New England state (5)
THEME – THE (article) + ME (Maine, a New England state)
51 Bikini is article to put on last in local pool (5)
ATOLL – A (article) + TO (to) + LL (last in locaL pooL)
My alphabetic list of named atolls starts and stops at Bikini.
52 Pole identifying microcrystalline mineral? (4)
SPAR – Double def

9 comments on “Jumbo 1207 May 14, 2016 – No offence”

  1. I can’t remember much from this, other than it took all the checkers for me to get 8d; the name, once in, was vaguely familiar, but only vaguely. Had some trouble with 46ac, since for me a WHIPPERSNAPPER is an insolent boy or young man, not a puny one. 31d is the first time I can remember where ‘native X’ indicated a human rather than an animal or plant. And the setter got it not quite right: the Cree are Canadian Indians, not American. The term for New World Indians–North America or South–is ‘Indians’, not ‘Native Americans’. Surely, Galspray, you could think of something critical (but not controversial) to say about Philip?

    Edited at 2016-05-28 04:52 am (UTC)

    1. … was born in the same month of the same year as my old Ma (GRHS). There were resemblances. Downside: a Pa who looked like Phil the Greek and shared his politics. There were rumours that that’s why they called Our Kid Philip.

      Maybe these were non-conscious reasons for emigrating to Australia … right on the knocker of November 1975! That’ll learn me.

    2. Canadians are not American? Italians are not European? Natives of the Americas were called Indians but we live in more enlightened times.
      1. Canadians are North American, of course; but I doubt you’d find any Canadian calling himself American. And you won’t find any Indian, US or otherwise, calling himself a Native American.
  3. 21:25, which suggests something very much at the gentle end of things, and I even managed not to make any stupid mistakes for a change. Thanks for an entertaining blog, galspray.
  4. My COD surely has to be NAIROBI, my home town, ‘part of UK’? he he, very funny. But why ‘non iron’ Galspray? l thought NI is Northern lreland, or is this tichy? (Ong’ara, Nairobi, Kenya )
    1. Sorry Ong’ara, my “Norn Iron” refers to the local pronunciation of “Northern Ireland”, or at least that’s how it was explained to me during my visits there in the 80’s and 90’s.

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