Jumbo 686

Author   petebiddlecombePosted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
Solving time 19:59

Another late posting. Just scraped inside 20 minutes, so not a giveaway jumbo. Clues picked out are rather good as well as possibly tricky.

Across
5 S(A MARK)AND – “a mark in (the) sand” is what orientates our Bedouin
16 DROOPINESS – Dr., ‘opines’ with end letters doubled
21 A(r)VO,WED – arvo = Aussie slang for afternoon = PM
28 QUESTIONNAIRE – (I enquire as to n(ame))*
35 ARTICLE,SOFWAR(=was for)*
52 GALLI(c),POL=lop<=,I
53 MAN’S,FIELD,PARK
56 TRAV(ell)ERS – Ben Travers is best known for farces.
 
Down
2 SUPERB,OWL
13 NOT HAVE THE FOGGIEST IDEA – ref “London Particular” – an old name for the local smog
39 PEN,SI=”is upset”,ON,ED.

2 comments on “Jumbo 686”

  1. I know it’s late, but I’m leaving a comment, just so’s there a comment for a Jumbo.
    Although I completed this, I never understood the why for ‘Samarkand’
    and ‘avowed’. In the latter it was because I had “Avo” as afternoon. So am I to understand Arvo is Aussie and Avo is us?

    — Smillsy

    1. According to the usual bunch of dictionaries, the Aussie slang is “arvo”. It seems bizarre for it to have an R when “afternoon” doesn’t, but comparing “Arno” and “ado” makes it clear why it’s there.

      “Avo” is only recorded as a currency name – should you ever go to Macau, there are a hundred avos in a pataca.

      If anyone uses “avo” for afternoon, the dictionaries don’t know about it.

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