Having a bad run on the Jumbos lately. This was another one that took an hour and a half, and from memory I resorted to aids at some point, but I can’t recall where.
I’m feeling really dodgy at the moment (man-flu according to Mrs Galspray, but what would she know?), so I’ll just get on with the parsing.
Clues are reproduced in blue, with the definition underlined. Anagram indicators are bolded and italicised. Then there’s the answer IN BOLD, followed by the parsing of the wordplay. (ABC)* means ‘anagram of ABC’.
| Across | |
| 1 | Painter’s finish in black, also in blue (9) |
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KANDINSKY – K (finish in black) + AND (also) + IN + SKY (blue) Never ‘eard of ‘im. |
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| 6 | One may have the landlord to answer to (3,4) |
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PUB QUIZ – Cryptic def Not sure that it’s usually the landlord asking the questions, but you get the point. |
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| 10 | ME city fears a backlash after withdrawing exhibits (5) |
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BASRA – Reverse hidden in feARS A Backlash “after withdrawing exhibits” is quite an elaborate way to clue the reverse hidden. Well done setter. |
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| 13 | She sets out at a different point (4-9) |
| EAST-SOUTHEAST – (SHE SETS OUT AT A)* | |
| 14 | Tact of detective, quick to accept large award (9) |
| DIPLOMACY – DI (detective) + PACY (quick) to “accept” L (large) + OM (award) | |
| 15 | Cut down with small saw (7) |
| SPOTTED – S (small) + POTTED (cut down) | |
| 16 | Gossip increasingly tawdry when one’s left (7) |
| TATTLER – TATTIER (increasingly tawdry), where I (one) is now L (left) | |
| 17 | Works together, wrestling to pull in shed to the left (7) |
| OMNIBUS – BIN (shed) in SUMO (wrestling), all reversed (to the left) | |
| 18 | Urge to let on about official statement (5,7) |
| PRESS RELEASE – PRESS (urge) + LEASE (let) on RE (about) | |
| 20 | Judge in working party sprang up, nicely stoned? (10) |
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BEJEWELLED – J (judge) in BEE (working party) + WELLED (sprang up) Maybe the COD? |
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| 23 | Island’s empty reservoir, something sheep go around (5) |
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BARRA – RR (’empty’ reservoir) surrounded by BAA (something sheep go) Something sheep go. Heh. |
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| 24 | One warning of dangerous bend that’s brief hindrance for car (9) |
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CHEVROLET – CHEVRO{n} (One warning of dangerous bend that’s brief) + LET (hindrance) Those arrow thingies on “slow-down” signs are called chevrons. I didn’t know that but you probably did. |
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| 25 | Calling a bird a fish (7) |
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TITLING – TIT (a bird) + LING (a fish) Love the economy of this clue. |
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| 26 | Drag performer tailed Irish girl in London landmark (5,6) |
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TOWER BRIDGE – TOWER (drag performer, as in one who drags) + BRIDGE{T} (Irish girl ‘tailed’) My beautiful youngest is a Bridgette. Probably should have gone with Bridget, but whatevs. |
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| 28 | Wig this thin, anyhow is visible (6,5) |
| WITHIN SIGHT – (WIG THIS THIN)* | |
| 30 | Frequently studied words of praise for hitchhiker? (4-7) |
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WELL-THUMBED – Double-def, the second one whimsical “Oh, well-thumbed sir, well-thumbed.” Yeah, nah. |
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| 32 | Drive to Spar to collect border sprinkler (8-3) |
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DREDGING-BOX – DR (drive) + BOX (spar) to ‘collect’ EDGING (border) Didn’t know this one either. I really need to get out more. |
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| 34 | Most down pint finally after second helpings of pastry (7) |
| MOPIEST – T (pint finally) after MO (second) + PIES (helpings of pastry) | |
| 36 | Staff that worked miracles with radar soon relocated (6,3) |
| AARONS ROD – (RADAR SOON)* | |
| 38 | Article that’s round supporting front of stage (5) |
| APRON – AN (article) round PRO (supporting) | |
| 39 | Secure language for digital application (4,6) |
| NAIL POLISH – NAIL (secure) + POLISH (language) | |
| 41 | Love performing? No (7,5) |
| NOTHING DOING – NOTHING (love) + DOING (performing) | |
| 45 | Seek compliments, possibly after taking everything off? Like the stockings! (7) |
| FISHNET – FISH (seek compliments, possibly) + NET (after taking everything off) | |
| 46 | African runners a source of mischief, sorry to say (7) |
| IMPALAS – IMP (a source of mischief) + ALAS (sorry to say) | |
| 47 | Game using cards as coins, strangely (7) |
| CASSINO – (AS COINS)* | |
| 49 | Persist as scrap metal merchant did, maybe conserving energy (7,2) |
| SOLDIER ON – SOLD IRON (as scrap merchant did, maybe) ‘conserving’ E (energy) | |
| 50 | Foot short in cool attempt (5,8) |
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LIGHT INFANTRY – LIGHT (short) + IN + FAN (cool) + TRY (attempt) I just inferred it from foot soldier, but apparently there was a Light Infantry regiment known as the Regiment of Foot that fought in the Crimean War. Hope it worked out ok for them. |
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| 52 | Tips from mathematicians show square and cube root (5) |
| SWEDE – Last letters (tips) of mathematicianS shoW squarE anD cubE | |
| 53 | Join together to expose employer’s tactic (7) |
| LOCKOUT – LOCK (join together) + OUT (expose) | |
| 54 | May, perhaps, God enter in disguise? (9) |
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THORNTREE – THOR (God) + (ENTER)* Thor’s been following me around lately. |
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| Down | |
| 1 | Do joint — and drink (5-2) |
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KNEES-UP – KNEE (joint) + SUP (drink) Another contender for COD? |
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| 2 | Boy, after upset, took heart from fresh love match (2-5,4) |
| NO-SCORE DRAW – NOS [SON (boy) ‘after upset’] + CORED (took heart from) + RAW (fresh) | |
| 3 | One sent off for smaller map (5) |
| INSET – I (one) + (SENT)* | |
| 4 | Seafood good with starter of eggs and mash? (7) |
| SQUIDGE – SQUID (seafood) + G (good) + E (starter of eggs) | |
| 5 | Informal agreement essential to stay ahead (3) |
| YAH – Hidden in staY AHead | |
| 6 | Trainer repeated test: moan goes up (9) |
| PRACTISER – RESIT (repeated test) + CARP (moan), all reversed (goes up) | |
| 7 | Transport for London youth includes something with wings (6) |
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BOTFLY – BOY (youth) includes TFL (Transport for London) Took a while to consider TFL for “transport for London”. Talk about hidden in plain view. |
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| 8 | Song — woefully unrehearsed — then chat (10,3,6) |
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UNDERNEATH THE ARCHES – (UNREHEARSED THEN CHAT)* Never heard of it. Was going to youtube it, but I have a headache. |
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| 9 | Final letter and one poem that won’t offend a number in US (3,4) |
| ZIP CODE – Z (final letter) + I (one) + PC ODE (poem that won’t offend) | |
| 10 | Martial arts standard British have to beat (5,4) |
| BROWN BELT – BR (British) + OWN (have) + BELT (beat) | |
| 11 | Looking to incorporate charge for major promotion (4,7) |
| STAR BILLING – STARING (looking) to ‘incorporate’ BILL (charge) | |
| 12 | Area near vessel that’s very deep (5) |
| ABYSS – A (area) + BY (near) + SS (vessel) | |
| 16 | Meal out whose attendees presumably didn’t stuff themselves (3,5,5,6) |
| THE TEDDY BEARS PICNIC – Cryptic def | |
| 19 | Threat to visibility from different directions a worry (3,4) |
| SEA FRET – SE (South, East, different directions) + A + FRET (worry) | |
| 21 | Figure on fencing team gets drug (9) |
| DIGITOXIN – DIGIT (figure) + ON ‘fencing’ XI (team) | |
| 22 | Grasped small volume in wonderment (6) |
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CLAWED – CL (centilitre, small volume) + AWED (in wonderment) Spent ages trying to work out why CAWED = wonderment, before the penny dropped. |
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| 23 | Lord’s lady out to lunch with Arab withholding tip (9) |
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BATSWOMAN – BATS (out to lunch) + W (with) + OMAN{i} [Arab, withholding tip (without the last letter)] But of course they would call her a batter. Geez, they even call batsmen batters these days. |
|
| 24 | My rugby training base (7) |
| CORRUPT – COR (my) + RU (rugby) + PT (training) | |
| 25 | Caught on top of tower, told off (7) |
| TWIGGED – T (top of tower) + WIGGED (told off) | |
| 27 | Fearful dinner periodically must upset stomach (6) |
| ENDURE – Every second letter (periodically) of fearful dinner, reversed (upset) | |
| 29 | To star as revolutionary attracted American (7) |
| SUNWARD – DRAWN (attracted) + US (American) all reversed (revolutionary) | |
| 31 | Poll advises changing filming technique (3,8) |
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LAP DISSOLVE – (POLL ADVISES)* This and the next clue were perfect examples of terms that you sort of know without knowing that you know them. I think the “LAP” is essentially a contraction of “overlap”. |
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| 33 | Poles tend not to have male heraldic line (3,8) |
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BAR SINISTER – BARS (poles) + {m}INISTER [tend, not to have M (male)] Used in heraldry to indicate that the ancestor may have been a rugby referee or a crossword setter. |
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| 35 | Dear old writer’s English verse I recalled (9) |
| EXPENSIVE – EX (old) + PENS (writer’s) + [E (English) + V (verse) + I], reversed (recalled) | |
| 37 | Variable in length, containing nothing that’s illuminating (4,5) |
| NEON LIGHT – (IN LENGTH)* containing O (nothing) | |
| 40 | Error excluding metaphors (7) |
| LITERAL – Double def | |
| 42 | Knock fans’ idol, showing guts? Impossible! (2,3,2) |
| NO CAN DO – Internal letters (guts) of kNOCk fANs iDOl | |
| 43 | Joyful expression initially gained by role playing (5,2) |
| GLORY BE – G (initially gained) + (BY ROLE)* | |
| 44 | Article exploring Merchant of Venice having extra line in for youth (6) |
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APOLLO – A (article) + POLO (exploring Merchant of Venice) with an extra L (line) No wait, this was my COD, for the definition of POLO. |
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| 45 | Doesn’t eat in a flash brasserie in the centre (5) |
| FASTS – FAST (in a flash) + S (middle letter of brasserie) | |
| 48 | Issue (contemptuously) tool that’s inferior to spades (5) |
| SPAWN – S (spades) + PAWN (tool) | |
| 51 | Reaction when men missing train? (3) |
| TUT – TUTOR (train), with OR (men) missing | |
Managed to lift my spirits for a while by having a crack at Dean’s Sunday offering. Just the standard run-of-the-mill masterpiece today.