This blog has more verbose explanations of solutions than most of mine, as there were a couple of tortuous ones and I could not think of any more succinct way to explain them (1A, 22A, 31A, 41A in particular). I think I would have to take 41A as my favourite for the last part of the wordplay, although I did like 19A and the definition in particular. Given that I knew this was one I needed to blog on so needed to understand in a bit more detail it was not a smooth solve, but it was good to finally get everything clear in my mind.
At the point this appears online I should be in hospital recovering from a hip replacement so any responses to queries or corrections needed may be a bit delayed.
Thank you all for the good wishes and the confirmation regarding 1A. Home again after only 2 nights in hospital, but now the hard work begins to get fully mobile again.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 SEDAN – S.E = South Eastern = maybe Kentish, DAN = tribe (although I can’t find that word as a definition in my oldish version of Chambers both DAN and TRIBE can be classification divisions) | |
| 4 SMOKING GUN – SMOKING = harmful addiction, GUN = NZ expert | |
| 9 ABROAD – A, BROAD = far=reaching | |
| 14 LOST CAUSE – OUTCLASSE(d)* | |
| 15 THE WIZARD OF OZ – double definition, the first mildly cryptic | |
| 16 TUMBRIL – TUM = corporation, BRIL(l) = fish | |
| 17 PERINATAL – PAINTER*, AL(l) = everyone | |
| 18 ASHEN – AN = article, around SHE = that woman | |
| 19 LIQUID PARAFFIN – LIQUID = running, P(riso)n, around AFFAIR*. I like the definition as “evacuating agent” | |
| 22 ON TOP OF – although the solution was easy to see from checking letters I took some time to work out the justification and had to resort to the dictionary to confirm. The definition is “having mastery over”. The wordplay is N = new and TOP = spinner, and OOF = money = the necessary, placed around these | |
| 25 ROUNDHOUSE – ROUND = circuit, HOUSE = put up. A roundhouse would be a circular maintenance facility in a railway yard with a turntable at the centre to allow engines to be directed to bays | |
| 27 MONEY CHANGER – (GERMANY CHO(s)EN)* | |
| 30 HATER – H = hot, (w)ATER = drink | |
| 31 TAILPIPE – the ashen individual would be a PALE TYPE leading to the Spoonerism TALE PYPE which sounds like TAILPIPE | |
| 32 PERICLES – PERIL = danger, around C = 100, ES = tablets | |
| 35 MASTIFFS – MS = writing, around A STIFF = a body | |
| 36 READJUST – READ = register, JUST = at the last moment | |
| 37 MARIA – AIR = appearance, A.M. = before noon, all reversed | |
| 39 DO ONES HEAD IN – DOONE’S = Lorna’s, HEAD = boss, IN = at the office | |
| 41 PUT A STOP TO – PUT = position, AS TO = respecting, P.T.O. = request to see back. Took some untangling to get the wordplay | |
| 43 SLEUTHS – (r)UTHLESS* | |
| 45 BARGAINING CHIP – BAR GAINING CHIP = possible side effect of brawl | |
| 48 CATTY – C = charlie, AY = always, around T.T. = dry | |
| 49 OPERAGOER – OP = P.O. = sailor, reversed, ERA = time, GO “ER” = express hesitation | |
| 51 GLORY BE – GLOBE = planet, around RY = tracks | |
| 53 CRYSTAL PALACE – CRY = call, STALL = stop, around PA = dad, ACE = super | |
| 54 CHATTIEST – C.H. = companion, ATTEST = witness, around I = one | |
| 55 EQUINE – (QUEEN, I)* | |
| 56 MECHANISED – ME(n), CHASED = stalked, around N.I. = province | |
| 57 RALLY – R(e)ALLY = extremely | |
| Down | |
| 1 SPLITS – double definition | |
| 2 DISAMBIGUATES – (A BIGAMIST USED)* | |
| 3 NICER – REIN = control, around C(omrade), all reversed | |
| 4 SQUALID – SQUA(d) = band, LID = hat | |
| 5 ONE-UPMANSHIP – ONE = person, UP = eager, MAN SHIP = form crew | |
| 6 INTERWAR – TRAINER* around W = wife | |
| 7 GREEN – double definition | |
| 8 UNINTENDED – UN = an = the French part, INTENDED = engaged = the English part | |
| 10 BEDFAST – BED = DEB = girl coming out, reversed, FAST = quickly. Not a word I am familiar with | |
| 11 OFF-THE-PEG – double definition | |
| 12 DOZEN – DOZE = drop off, N = note | |
| 13 HALLE ORCHESTRA – cryptic definition | |
| 20 UNDER FIRE – double definition | |
| 21 FOOTPADS – FOOT = to pay for, PADS = accommodation | |
| 23 FORESHADOW – FORE = warning from driver, SHADOW = the person behind | |
| 24 ARCHIMEDES – ARES = Greek god, around CHIME = sound as a bell and D = died | |
| 26 OUT OF THIS WORLD – double definition | |
| 28 AXIOMATIC – A, XI = team, O.M. = order, AT = visiting, I = international, C = clubs | |
| 29 SPEEDIER – SEEDIER = more off, around P = page | |
| 33 LORD PRIVY SEAL – LORD = peer, PRIVY = can, SEAL = shut up | |
| 34 AUTUMN CROCUS – AUTUMN = fall, CU = copper in the alternate letters of CuRiOuS | |
| 38 MARBLE CAKE – cryptic definition | |
| 40 OVER TO YOU – (VOYEUR TOO)* | |
| 42 JACOBEAN – JEAN = Frenchman, around A COB = a horse | |
| 44 TRY IT ON – double definition | |
| 46 NIGGARD – NIG = GIN = spirit, reversed, GARD = DRAG = bore, reversed | |
| 47 NEATLY – NEARLY = almost, with the first letter of racket replacing the last | |
| 48 CACHE – C = cold, ACHE = pine | |
| 50 ABASH – A.B. = seaman, ASH = remains | |
| 52 OXTER – hidden in fOX TERrier | |
On edit: Having now actually read your intro, let me add my best wishes. My brother last year, and a friend the year before, had hip replacements, and are thriving. You couldn’t tell if Rita (no, that’s not my brother) had had one. Step carefully at first, though; the bro managed, on his first night home, to fall over on his way to the loo, fortunately on a thick carpet.
Edited at 2019-10-13 12:35 am (UTC)
Hope the Hip Op went well!
Thanks for explaining ON TOP OF – NHO OOF for money, although now I think of it, I think I’ve seen it in a crossword before.
I also didn’t know that a ROUNDHOUSE was a railway maintenance shed.
This took me c 55 minutes so about 10 minutes than average.
I liked PUT A STOP TO best, once I saw how it worked.