Jumbo 1413

Author   sghansonPosted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
I enjoyed this one – not difficult but some well designed clues. I think my favourite is 20A for the clever construction of the solution from whole words. I also liked 40D.

As my next blog will be due to go live in 2020, in another decade, can I take this opportunity to wish all my (many?) readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Across
1 BITTERSWEET – BITTER = beer, ST = street, around WEE = urinate
7 SECRETARIAT – (CAREERIST AT)*
13 LEASEHOLD – L = large, EASE = no bother, HOLD = maintain
14 TRAPEZE – TRAP = catch, (ge)EZE(rs)
15 AMIGO – A, M = married, I = one, GO = spirit
16 RASCAL – RA = god, SCAL(e) = climb
17 SWINDLER – SWIN(e) = pig, LED*, R = Republican
18 TEEMING – TEE = support, MING = china
20 ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM – ELECT = choose, ROE = caviar, N = new, CEP = mushroom, HALO = glory, GRAM = chickpeas. Very well constructed.
23 CONCEDE – hidden in arabiC ONCE DEnied
24 TREADLE – TREACLE = cloying sentimentality, with the musical C raised to D
26 EASTERN – EASTER = festival, N(agasaki)
28 REAM – RE = concerned with, A.M. = morning
29 FARTHEST – FAST = express, around R = runs and THE = article
32 EPAULETTE – E = note, PAULETTE = girl
35 EPICUREAN – (A NICE PURE)*
36 TREASURE – TREE = large shrub, around ASUR = RUSA = deer, reversed. I needed to check the deer.
37 HAFT – (s)HAFT = access to mine
39 TANGENT – TAN = leather, GENT = chap
41 GUTLESS – double definition
44 TORTURE – TORT = wrongful act, alternate letters in hUrRiEd
45 COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY – COUNT = noble, ERR = mistake, EVOLUTIONARY = moving slowly
49 SANGRIA – SANG = revealed secrets, RIA = AIR = draught, reversed
50 STARTLED – S = second, TART = bitter, LED = being shown the way
51 MISCUE – ME around IS and CU = copper
53 ERECT – ERE = before, CT = court
54 EARDRUM – (A MURDER)*
55 NUCLEOLUS – (NO CLUE)*, L = left, US
56 TREACHEROUS – TEACHER = tutor, around R = right, O = over, US
57 MISCONSTRUE – CONSUMERIST*
 
Down
1 BOLERO – BOLE = trunk, R = right, O = round
2 TRANSPLANTATION – T = tons, RAN = managed, STATION = military base, around PLAN = project
3 EYE-CATCHER – EYE = organ, CATER = provide, around CH = church
4 SNOB – BONS = Japanese festivals, reversed. I was not familiar with the word
5 ENDOWMENT – (WOMEN TEND)*
6 TITANIC – C = caught, IN = during, AT IT = doing something, all reversed
7 SCALLOPED – SCOPED = carefully examined, around ALL = entirely
8 CLEAR – CAR = vehicle around LE = The (in) French
9 ELECTRODE – ELECT = favoured people, RODE = went on horseback
10 AMATEURISHLY – (US, A TAIL RHYME)*
11 IRIDIUM – I = one, RUM = strange, around I’D and I = one
12 THOUGH – TH(r)OUGH = finished
19 FREEWARE – FREE = open, WAR = conflict, E = English
21 AGELESS – (w)AGELESS = without regular income
22 UNGENTLE – (p)UNGENT = sharply caustic, LE = the (in) French
23 CORVETTE – CORE = centre of reactor, around VET = check and T = temperature
25 EVENT – EVEN = uniform, T = tango
27 EXTRA-CURRICULAR – EXTRA = run, CUR = dog, RURAL* around I.C. = in charge
30 TANAGER – TAN = brown, AG = silver, (t)ER(n)
31 THEME – (an)THEM, E = English
33 AIRSTRIP – AIRS = broadcasts, TRIP = mistake
34 BUREAUCRATIC – (CUCURBIT AREA)*
38 CRANKINESS – C.C> = Civil Service, around RANKINE = Scots physicist. Needed to look him up
40 TETE-A-TETE – TE,TE,TE,TE = repetitive notes, around A. Well constructed
42 THESAURUS – THUS = like this, around ESAU = Jacob’s brother and R = romeo
43 SAUTERNES – STERNE’S = author’s, around AU = gold
45 CONVENE – CONVEN(t) = religious community, E = ecstasy
46 OPTIMUM – OP = work, TUM = corporation, around I’M = I am
47 ASPECT – A SECT = a cult, around P = power
48 LESSEE – LESSEN = make reduction with N = north changed to E = east
50 SERVO – initial letters of Something Ensuring Really Vigorous Output
52 ECHO – hidden in nocturnE CHOpin

10 comments on “Jumbo 1413”

  2. Bon is an annual festival, so it looked a bit odd in the plural, but one can have Easters or Christmases, so why not Bons? LOI TREASURE; it seemed inevitable, but I finally looked up the deer. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, too, SG.
  3. Straightforward apart from the unknown NUCLEOLUS which I failed to unravel without resorting to aids. BONS and the RUSA deer were unknown but didn’t cause any problems. Very pleased to work out ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM.
  4. A pleasant puzzle with a couple of unknowns, Rusa deer and Bons, which didn’t cause a problem, as well as an unfamiliar Scottish scientist, who I also checked. I polished it off in under an hour, which is quick for me. I didn’t bother to fully parse ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM. Hadn’t heard of NUCLEOLUS, but had no difficulty constructing it. 54:53. Thanks setter and SG, and Seasonal greetings to you too:-)
  5. 35:07. Yes on the easy side but several unknowns. BON is not in my Chambers dictionary so I had to verify on-line. Also NHO RUSA deer, NUCLEOLUS or RANKIN the scientist. HAFT and UNGENTLE my last 2 in, but they held me up at the end by less than 2 minutes, unlike my last one today. My COD was 20A too… a lovely 6 part charade. Thanks setter and SG and compliments of the season to you too.
  6. Yes easy, like today’s cryptic ..
    2020 is not another decade really .. numbers go from one to ten. 2021 is the start of the next decade. Unless you believe there was a year 0
    2. I think it’s a decade all right, the twenties ie the ten years from 2020 to 2029.

      Not quite the same as looking at centuries with titles such as the twentieth etc.

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