Jumbo 1418

Author   sghansonPosted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
Happy New Year, if a little belated.

This one was a fair test for New Year’s Day, although as much effort went into parsing some of the clues as actually determining the solutions. 49A and 35D in particular caused some head scratching.

If I had to pick a favourite clue it would probably be 28A for the cluing of the second part. 43A was well clued and also 42D in my opinion.


Across
1 INTIMATE – IN TIME = eventually, around (l)AT(e)
5 USEFUL – U = uniform, SEUL = only (in French = for Nancy), around F = feminine
9 CELEBES – CELEBS = famous people, around E = eastern
14 PREPARATORY – PREP = pupils’ work, A, (o)RATORY = chapel
15 RIGHT AS RAIN – RIGHT = entitlement, A, S = small, RAIN = shower
16 STAID – ST = street = way, AID = help
17 ANTHILL – A, NTH = ultimate (as in “to the nth degree”), ILL = misfortune
28 THE STICKS – sounds like THE STYX = underground river
19 OPENING – O = old, PEN(n)ING = writing
20 ROOM TEMPERATURE – ROOM = space, TEMPERATURE = symptom of illness
22 OBSTETRICS – cryptic definition using different definitions of “expecting”
23 BELT UP – double definition
25 DOTH – hidden in understanD OTHers
28 POP THE QUESTION – POP = Dad, THE QUESTION = “to be or not to be”
30 PROCURER – PRO = for, CURER = doctor, we hope
32 SOFT-SOAP – SOFT = non-rigid, SOAP = bar
34 WILLIAM AND MARY – (ADMIRAL WILY MAN)*
37 MAGI – MAG = glossy, I = one
38 EIDOLA – OLDIE*, A = article. I needed to look this one up to confirm the result of the anagram
39 REVELATION – REV = priest, ELATION = feeling of euphoria
43 NO MAN IS AN ISLAND – double definition, the first cryptic and relying on the fact that Douglas is the capital of the Isle of Man
45 TOUPEES – OUP = publishing house, in TEES = river
47 PENTECOST – PEST = nuisance, around NT = books and ECO = green
49 SWANSEA – SANS = without, around W = whiskey, then the alternate letters in wAtEr, reversed. I think this is how it works
51 TWINE – TWIN = double, E(xercise)
52 DRAW THE LINE – (DENIAL THREW)*
53 PARTNERSHIP – (PRINTER HAS)*, P = page
54 SKY BLUE – SKY = send up, BLUE = down
55 KILTER – double definition
56 STURGEON – SURGEON = bones, around (throa)T

Down
1 IMPASTO – I’M PAST = me, too old, O = love
2 THE GAME IS UP – double definition, the first mildly cryptic referencing the game of quidditch from the Harry Potter series of books and films which is played while flying on broomsticks
3 ME AND MINE – MEAN = excellent, D = daughter, MINE = source of wealth
4 TRAFALGAR SQUARE – TRAFALGAR = area of sea (in the Shipping Forecasts), SQUARE = level
6 SKY PILOT – double definition, the first referencing Sky as a TV channel
7 FOR ALL THE WORLD – FOR ALL = unrestricted, THE WORLD = our planet
8 LEGITIMATE – LEG = on (cricket), IT = appeal, I’M = I am, ATE = worried
9 CATS EYE – cryptic definition
10 LISZT – double definition, the second cryptically referring to “Brahms and Liszt” as rhyming slang for drunk
11 BEAN COUNTER – BEAN = some coffee, COUNTER = table
12 SINISTER – SISTER = relative, around IN = at home
13 POST – double definition
20 ROCKER – double definition
21 ADDUCED – A = answer, D(e)DUCED = worked out
22 OPPOSE – OP = work, (a)ESOP = ancient author, reversed
24 PERMANENT MAGNET – PERM = make arrangements, ANENT = concerning, MAG = publication, NET = after tax
26 STAINLESS STEEL – (LETS, ESSENTIALS)*
27 CRAYON – C = carbon, RAYON = fibre
29 HESSIAN – HE’S = man’s, SIN = wicked deed, around A
31 FAG END – F = fine, AGEND(a) = work list
33 FRAGMENTARY – (FRAY GARMENT)*
35 ABIDE WITH ME – A, BID = try, E, WITH M.E. = suffering debilitating condition. I think this is how it works
36 I DONT THINK – double definition
40 ADULTERER – ADULTER = more grown up?, E(age)R
41 IN SPADES – IN = popular, SPA = health centre, alternate letters in DiEtS
42 BAD APPLE – BIG APPLE = New York, with IG (=reversed GI = soldier) removed and replaced with A and D = day
44 SLOVENE – (E(nglish), NOVELS)*
46 SLEEP IN – SPIN = take a turn, around LEE = shelter
48 EXTOL – EX = without, TOL = LOT = fortune, reversed
50 SARK – SARK(y) = cutting

3 comments on “Jumbo 1418”

  1. We had LISZT a few days ago, and I learned from the blog about Brahms and L. Well, ‘learned’ may be an exaggeration, as I biffed it here from the checkers, and had to come to this blog to find out how it worked. I parsed SWANSEA and ABIDE WITH ME as did our blogger, but didn’t know ME. Never did parse 1ac. I sort of knew ‘eidolon’, but the definition seems a bit off.
  2. Failed to parse 1a and 24dn. I was going to say I’d never heard of ANENT but on Googling it within TfTT I find it has 3 pages of ‘hits’ covering many years, which is too many for me to trawl through and to check if I’ve said anything about it in the past. Whatever the truth of the matter I can say with some assurance that it didn’t stick in my brain.
  3. Mostly fairly straightforward but I made 38A, my LOI, by having I CAN’T THINK for 36D i8ntially. I failed to parse 17A and 24D, so thanks for those and parsed SWANSEA like our blogger and Kevin. COD to NO MAN IS AN ISLAND.

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