Jumbo 978

Author   sghansonPosted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
I did not note down my time for this although there was nothing to hold me up particularly.

A couple of the wordplays took a little time to parse correctly, but the definition in each case made the solution reasonably clear.

Across
1 STOP-PRESS – ST(reet) OPPRESS = cow
6 TACHO – H(e)-CAT = tom, reversed, O(ver)
9 BIT PART – BIT = mouthpiece (in a bridle), PART = separate
13 deliberately omitted – please ask if unsure
14 CARAMBA – CA = about, RAM = stuff, BA = graduate.
15 SET FIRE TO – (TESTER OF, I)*, where I = current
16 BRAHMAPUTRA – BRAHM(s) = composer, PUT = placed,in A R.A. = a drawer (artist)
17 GALLOWGLASS – GALLOWS = means to hang, around G(uadalcana)L, AS
18 WHIMSY – WHY = reason, around IS, around M(onsieur)
19 REDDITCH – RED = Liverpool player, D(eparts), ITCH = impatience
21 SUMACS – SUMS = things for adders, around (pl)AC(ed)
25 NONSENSE – NO N(orth) S(outh) E(ast) = only the West, N,S,E = all but west
26 THE CATS PYJAMAS – double definition
28 ELVIS – (p)ELVIS = frame attached to legs
29 CURDLE – DL = LD = Lord reversed, in CURE = minister
30 CLARK GABLE – LARK = stunt, (lon)G, all in CABLE = thick rope
33 EARLS COURT – EARS = auditors agents, around L(eft), COURT = invite
35 SPITED – DE-TIPS = renders pointless, reversed
36 WALES – TALES = accounts, with T(ime) replaced by W(orking)
38 GOOD-FOR-NOTHING – GO = travel, OD = overdoese = gorge, FOR NOTHING = without paying
40 SYLLABUB – BUYS = swallows, around BALL = globule, all reversed
42 EDUCED – ED, ED = pressmen, around UC = upper case = capitals
43 FOOTSTEP – hidden reversed in carPETS TOO Fine
44 deliberately omitted – please ask if unsure
47 BUFFALO BILL – BUFF = expert, A = article, LOB = send up, ILL = bad
50 TRANSLUCENT – (CANT RESULT (i)N)*
52 CHECKMATE – CHECK = stop, MATE = ship’s officer
53 PLEADER – PER = a (as in per person), around LEAD = metal
54 DUMBO – DUMB = silent, O = not a thing
55 SET FREE – (FESTER)*, (crat)E
56 THEFT – THE F.T. = the Financial Times = daily
57 CALEDONIA – (AID ONCE)* around AL(l)
Down
1 SQUIB – SQUI(d) = one producing ink, B(lack)
2 OPERATION OVERLORD – (h)OPE = Cockney’s aspiration, RATION = helping, OVERLORD = boss
3 POSTMASTERS – POST = following, MASTERS = golf tournament
4 EXCEPT – EX CE = Ex Church of England = convert to Catholicism, PT = training
5 SPRITZER – (TRIPS)*, ZER(o) = love
6 TIME AND A HALF – (H(earts) INFLAMED AT A)*
7 deliberately omitted – please ask if unsure
8 OUSEL – LOUSE = parasite, with the first letter moved to the end
9 BOTTOMS UP – BOM = MOB = crowd reversed, arount OTT = too much, SUP = drink
10 THINGAMAJIG – THIN = slender, GAM = leg, A JIG = a lively dance
11 ARENA – alternate letters in rAiNwEaR hAd, all reversed
12 deliberately omitted – please ask if unsure
18 WIND ENERGY – cryptic definition
20 HOTPLATE – OT = Old Testament = good book inpart, in HP = hire purchase = method of purchasing, LATE = advanced
22 CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN – CAMP = over-theatrical, BELLMAN = town-crier, around BANNER = heading
23 PSYCHO – LIP SYNCH OK* with the letters from LINK removed
24 OSTENSIBLY – OS = SO reversed, (BY SILENT)*
27 BRER WOLF – FLOWER = pick, B(ook) all reversed around R(omulus). Brer Wolf appeared in the Uncle Remus stories
31 RED-EYE – RYE = grass, around EDE(n) = garden
32 UP ONES STREET – UP = hike, O = round NESS = loch, TREE, T = sort of junction
34 SAFE-CRACKER – SAFE = taking no risks, CRACKER = explosive device
36 WELL-ROUNDED – double definition
37 SHOOFLY PIE – SHOP = outlet, around O = duck and FLY = wing, IE = that is
39 RADIO WAVE – RAVE = storm, around D(eparts), IOWA = US state
41 HERALDIC – (CHILDRE(n))* around A
45 ABACUS – A, BAC(ch)US = god
46 ASTRAL – AS = like, TRA(i)L = to drag
48 FLEET – FLEE = run, T(ime), The Fleet is a river running under London
49 INERT – IN = popular, (c)ERT = banker
51 THORA – T, H, OR A is the choice of first letters from Trolley Have Approval

6 comments on “Jumbo 978”

  1. Thanks to setter and blogger. Great puzzle. Harder than the Times Jumbo usually is, but no problem at all – quite the reverse – as clues were so good and fair so I v much enjoyed the extra time spent at it.
  2. This took me heaps of time; maybe under 2 hours, I lost track. At the last moment, as I was submitting, I switched PAJAMAS to PYJAMAS, and when I saw my 590 score, I thought that was the problem. But now I see that I put in ‘pastmasters’ instead of POSTMASTERS. But it’s a pity that a non-checker (Y?A?) could count against one.
    1. Sorry about the potential ambiguity arising from the US spelling of pyjamas. Actually I don’t think we allow US-only spellings in the crossword – or if we do they need to be flagged as such. However a solver wouldn’t necessarily think of that.
      1. My bad. I was pretty sure that a US-only spelling would not be accepted; but when I checked my (Japanese) dictionary, I misread it as giving PY- as an additional UK spelling, not as THE UK spelling. So not only did I get the clue right, I would have had no grounds for complaint if I had spelled it PAJAMAS.
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