As this is my first blog of 2012 can I take the opportunity to wish all solvers and my fellow bloggers a Happy New Year. If this blog is a little late I apologise, but I was not sure of the timings over the holiday period. However the solution is published today so I must be safe to post this.
This Jumbo was a fair workout to get the brain moving on Boxing Day, even if the body did not get much of a workout (I did walk to the paper shop to buy the newspaper).
Nothing contentious in the clues, but some uncommon words and long anagrams to provide a challenge.
|
Across |
|
|---|---|
| 1 ALDEBURGH – ALE = beer, around D = note, followed by BURGH which is H = H(ot) GRUB = food, reversed | |
| 6 BATTLE-SCARRED – BATTLE = Waterloo, S(tation), CAR = vehicle, RED = left | |
| 13 TESSA – ASSET = one valued, reversed | |
| 14 Deliberately omitted – please ask if necessary | |
| 15 CARAMEL – R.A. = artist, in CAMEL = animal | |
| 16 NOT FOR ALL THE TEA IN CHINA – (THEN AT CALIFORNIAN HOTEL)* | |
| 18 OVERSELL – OVER = accomplished, SELL sounds like CELL = political group | |
| 20 ARGUMENT – double definition, but somehow I don’t like it much as the two are similar | |
| 21 POSED – POS(t)ED = pinned up, where the removed letter is clued as “but finally” i.e. the last letter of “but” | |
| 23 TRIVIA – TRIA(l) = court case, around IV = four | |
| 24 REIN IN – REI(g)NIN(g) = ruling, with all instances of g=good removed | |
| 25 Deliberately omitted – please ask if necessary | |
| 28 CATEGORISE – (A SCORE I GET)*. The definition is “sort” | |
| 29 BEAU – sounds like Bow, in East London | |
| 30 GLOATED – L(arge) in GO AT = attack, followed by ED = small boy | |
| 32 LOCKAGE – (b)LOCKAGE = obstruction | |
| 34 IRIS – I = one, RIS(k) = chance | |
| 35 HEATHENDOM – HEATH = PM (Prime Minister), END = dying, OM = M.O. = doctor, reversed | |
| 38 SHACKLING – HACK = journalist, in SLING = drink | |
| 39 TEAPOY – (A TYPE, O)*. Not a common word | |
| 40 SLAVIC – S = society, LAIC = secular, around V(erse) | |
| 43 Deliberately omitted – please ask if necessary | |
| 45 GAS POKER – SPOKE = talked, in GAR = RAG = tabloid, reversed | |
| 47 PEARDROP – PEAR sounds like pair = couple, DROP = collapse | |
| 49 CHARACTER ASSASSINATION – CHARACTER = eccentric, ASS, ASS = fools, I(sland), NATION = race | |
| 52 HANOVER – HAN(d)OVER, where the d removed = duke | |
| 53 INITIATOR – (IT, IT ON AIR)* | |
| 54 ALIAS – A, LIAS = SAIL = royal (type of sail), reversed | |
| 55 CASH DISPENSER – (PRINCESSES HAD)* | |
| 56 EYESHADOW – EYE = watch, SHOW = programme, around AD = commercial | |
| Down | |
| 1 ACTING OUT – ACTI(o)N = battle, with o = love removed, GOUT = disease | |
| 2 DISH THE DIRT – D(aughter), (TRIED THIS H(ard))* | |
| 3 BEANO – BE A NO = register a vote against. I’ve seen very similar clues in the past | |
| 4 RACIALLY – CIA = spies, in RALLY = assembly | |
| 5 HOMELY – HOME = in, L(uxur)Y = extremes of luxury | |
| 6 BEACHFRONT – BACH = musician, around E(nglish), FRONT = bow, | |
| 7 TROUT QUINTET – (balle)T, (TURN TO QUITE)* | |
| 8 LUGGAGE – GAG = crack, in LUGE = toboggan | |
| 9 SECOND THOUGHTS – THOUGH = for all that, T(ime), in SECONDS = supporters | |
| 10 AIRSHIP – AIRS = communicates, HIP = with it | |
| 11 REMINISCENT – MINIS – what Sixties girls wore, in RECENT = contemporary | |
| 12 Deliberately omitted – please ask if necessary | |
| 17 ADDENDUM – (DEMAND DUE)* | |
| 19 SLINGBACK – SLING = throw, BACK = champion | |
| 22 LEASHING – LEG = limb, around A SHIN = part of the limb | |
| 25 SAUCEBOX – SAUCE = dressiing, BOX = TV | |
| 26 PROPELLER – PROPER = due, around (c)ELL = room in prison | |
| 27 GREETINGS CARDS – GREETINGS = his (plural of “Hi!”), CARDS = tickets. The wordplay here tok a little working out, although the solution was clear | |
| 28 COLD SORE – COLD = bitter (rather loose definition), SORE = resentful | |
| 31 DICTIONARIES – (AIDS IN EROTIC)* | |
| 33 CHANGE HANDS – CHANGE = coins, HANDS = workmen | |
| 36 DIVERSIFIED – DIVERS = pearl-fishers I = one, FI(r)ED = enthused | |
| 37 Deliberately omitted – please ask if necessary | |
| 41 COPING SAW – COP = policeman, SAW = spotted, around IN G(arden) | |
| 42 PEDIGREE – P(age), ED(itor) I, GREE(t) = welcome | |
| 44 DERIVED – DE(p)RIVED = poor | |
| 46 STERILE – ST = street = way, followed by E(uropean) LIRE = money, reversed | |
| 48 TSETSE – (p)EST = bug, reversed twice | |
| 50 Deliberately omitted – please ask if necessary | |
| 51 CHIC – CHIC(ago). Ago = in the past | |
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