Jumbo 908

Author   sghansonPosted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
This was a fair test – nothing spectacular, but some good clues and I learnt something about American politicians. Nothing much more to comment on – where necessary I have added to my parsing of the clues.

Across
1 BLOWOUT – LOW = down, in BOUT = drinking session  
5 DEPICTED – PICT = inhabitant of Scotland in DEED = act  
9 ONWARD – hidden in reckON WAR Definitely  
13 A BOLT FROM THE BLUE – (BETROTHAL UMBLE)*  
14 LAMMAS – LAMAS = monks, around M(ass)  
16 ERROR – (t)ERROR = panic  
17 EACH WAY – (T)EACH = instruct, WAY = method  
18 ALEXANDER – A LEX = a law, AND, E.R.  
19 BETROTHAL – (THAT B(ach)ELOR)*  
21 deliberately omitted, please ask if necessary  
22 ATLAS – A, TLAS = SALT = seaman reversed. Referring to the Atlas range of mountains  
23 OUTRE – ORE = mineral, around UT(ah) = state  
25 ENDOWMENT – END = close, (TWO MEN)*  
27 NODS OFF – NODS = signifies acceptance, OF, (relie)F  
29 KANDINSKY – KIN = family, SKY = heaven, around AND  
31 LACKADAISICAL – LACK A DAIS = wanting platform, 1 CAL(ifornia)  
34 FLASH IN THE PAN – (A HALFPENN(y) THIS)*  
35 HOTPEPPER – HOT = fresh, PEPPER = sprinkle. I could not find this as one word, and there was some discussion along the same lines on the Club Forum  
37 SCRATCH – double definition. Nick in this case I think refers to the Devil (Old Nick, Old Scratch) and the fact that the name has a capital letter anyway at the beginning of the clue is a further concealment  
39 deliberately omitted, please ask if necessary  
42 THIEF – THE F(orce) around I  
43 ENNUI – hidden in rottEN NUIsance  
45 WARRANT – WAR = fighting, RANT = harangue  
47 OBEDIENCE – ONCE = formerly, around BED = part of garden, I, E(xcavate)  
49 CHASTENED – CHAS = Charles, TEN = X, ED = Edward  
50 EMPTIER – E = European, M.P. = politician, TIER = row  
52 FORTH – double definition  
54 IRKING – 1, R, KING  
55 MARRIAGE GUIDANCE – (MARIE CURIE’D A GANG)*  
56 DODDER – D(aughter), ODDER = stranger  
57 STREAMER – STEAMER = vessel, around R(ight)  
58 DULLEST – DULLES = Secretary of State, T(hink). I only knew the name Dulles from Washington’s Airport, but the man served under Eisenhower from 1952 to 1959. My excuse is that I was not born until 1957  
 
Down
1 BEAVERBROOK – BEAVER = work hard, BROOK = channel  
2 ODOUR – O = nothing, DOUR = hard  
3 deliberately omitted, please ask if necessary  
4 THREE SHEETS IN THE WIND – double definition. I recall the expression as “to the wind”, but Chambers has both  
5 DOMICILED – (OLD MEDIC I)*  
6 PSHAW – P(ressure), SHAW = playwright.  
7 CUBBYHOLE – CUB = small animal, BY = near, HOLE = burrow. I thought this was two words, or hyphenated at least.  
8 EMULATE – EMU = non-flyer, LATE = behind time  
10 NIAGARA – NIAG = GAIN = profit reversed, A, R.A. = painter  
11 ARMADILLO – ARM = weapon, ADO = trouble, around I’LL = I will  
12 DISTRUSTFUL – T(ime), RUST = change colour, in (FLUIDS)*  
15 KEEP AN EAR TO THE GROUND – double definition  
20 TITANIA – TITAN = person of great intellect, I A(m)  
21 COWSLIP – COWS = frightens, LIP = pert language  
24 EPITHET – PITH = substance in EET = TEE reversed  
26 TRASH – T(reat), RASH = spots  
28 DESSERT – DESERT = waste around S(econd)  
30 YAHOO – O,O = circles, HAY = grass, all reversed  
32 CONTENT – double definition  
33 CAPTION – CAPON = bird, around TI = IT reversed  
34 FOSTER CHILD – (OSTRICH FLED)*  
36 REFRESHMENT – RE = regarding, FRESHMEN = new students, T(hings)  
38 RANSACKED – RAN = fled, SACKED = fired. Definition is “rifle in the past”  
40 deliberately omitted, please ask if necessary  
41 PROFITEER – (FREE TO RIP)*  
44 INTENSE – 1, N(ew), TENSE = present, perhaps  
46 RADIANT – RANT = forceful speech, around DIA = AID (= assistance) reversed. RANT with two similar definitions in two crossing clues – I would think the setter could do better  
48 INFIDEL – IN, FIELD = cricket ground, with the last letter moved up  
51 PSALM – S(hilling) in PALM = hand  
53 RANGE – initial letters of R(ipe) A(pples) N(o) G(ood) E(ater)  

3 comments on “Jumbo 908”

  1. This was unbelievably easy for a Jumbo; 35 minutes, well less than half my usual time on these things. 58ac was a propos in that Dulles certainly was one of the dullest men imaginable, although not in the ‘unintelligent’ sense. If only that had been the worst of his traits. ‘dullest’ also seems an appropriate final clue to a pretty dull puzzle.
  2. I Agree. I don’t always get time for the Jumbo but this was the easiest I can remember. I didn’t time myself but it can’t have been much more than half an hour. I was held up a little bit by putting in THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND but otherwise very straightforward.
  3. 18:04 for me, so I found it pretty straightforward, but not the easiest ever.

    I haven’t been able to find HOTPEPPER as a single word either, and wonder if the enumeration should simply have been (3,6). And I thought “very conspicuous” for RADIANT was perhaps a little weak, but apart from those this seemed a pleasant enough puzzle.

Comments are closed.