Jumbo 981 – the one without some of the clues.

Author   fathippy2Posted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
The hardest part of this was the missing three clues at the end of the downs in the paper version. I was just about to pop up on Wednesdays blog to ask if anyone could fill me in, but thankfully the Times reprinted them under the Wednesday grid, so all was fine. The fact that this was the only notable thing, suggests this was a fairly standard offering.
I did spend a bit of a time trying to guess the last two fully-missing clues/answers from the checkers, but plumped for VESSEL and SILT !!

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Across
1 REBECCA – Re=about, B=british, (m)ECCA, for the novel
5 LABRADOR – L=left, (abroad)*, (honfleu)R. Cant say I quite get the use of “abandoned” as an anagrind, but hey ho.
9 MERCIA – contained in (com)MERCIA(ls)
13 FAMILY FAVOURITES – cryptic definition, fairly clear from the first part, but didnt know of the programme.
14 CAREER – CAR=vehicle, EER=always
16 SWAYBACK – S(erious), WAY BACK = a long time ago, for the horse ailment also known as saddle-back.
17 DEFT – ED = editor, turned around, then FT=financial times. def = proficient.
18 PROSTRATE – PRO = in favour of, R=republican inside STATE, whole is “no longer able to stand”.
20 MEGADOSE – (some aged)* for lots of medicine, seems like a made up word, but apparently not.
21 CHICKEN FEED – CHIC=stylish, KEN=chap, FEED=given payment once.
24 ATHLETICS – ATTICS = greeks, outside HeLpEr
25 BOASTFUL – S(kipper) inside BOATFUL = “passengers and crew”
26 ONUS – slight tongue in cheek clue, if it is “ON US”, then other people are spared!
29 NOCTURNALLY – CON = read (reversed), ALLY=friend, around TURN=shock, for “after dark”
31 SECRET AGENT – SENT = dispatched, around CRETE = island around A, G(erman)
33 GOLDEN OLDIE – recalled/reversed (DLONED = divine cover for single, LOG = record), then IE=that’s, for the “much loved hit”
36 DELIBERATES – DELIBES = french composer, around RATE = merit.
38 EDOM – reverse of MODE = way, for the middle eastern kingdom.
39 STOCKPOT – TOP=lid reversed, after STOCK=standard, for the ovenware item.
41 ARACHNOID – CH=check, NO=number, in A RAID = an attack. Def = “of spiders”
44 INTERLINGUA – (lgerian unit)* where the A(rmy) leader was removed from the anagrist
45 INSANELY – SA = salvation army, inside INN=pub, ELY=cathedral.
48 GREAT BEAR – (are)* inside GT=car, then BEAR sounds like BARE=naked. Whole is “stars” as in URSA MAJOR.
49 ADEN – hidden reversal – (ban)NED A(lcohol) for the port.
50 DEMONISE – ON(e) = individual, almost completely, inside DEMISE = failure. Whole is “blacken name of”.
52 NAILED – DELIAN = one from DELOS, reversed, for “arrested”
53 BLOODTHIRSTINESS – (dishonest bristol)*
54 ENDING – (v)ENDING, selling, without the V = front of van.
55 POLYGLOT – G=good, LOT=fortune, after POLY=college in former times.
56 RAG DOLL – RAG = paper, then DOLL(ar) = 2/3 dollar = roughly 67 cents.

Down
1 REFUSE – REF=whistle-blower, USE=employment
2 BEMOAN – MOA=extinct bird, in BEN=high ground
3 CALABRESE – (clear base)* , “for soup” being the anagrind
4 AFFECTATION – TA=terriers, in AFFECTION=love for the “show”
5 LIVE – LIVE(rish) = bad tempered, not half. The definition is just “be”.
6 BLUE EYED BOY – double def, a nickname of Frank, in the earlier years, also generally a favourite.
7 ARISTOCRATS – (star actor is)*
8 OVERPAINT – OVER=done with, I, inside PANT(s) = wearing short trousers. Whole is “put on extra coat”.
10 EXACTING – EX=old, ACTING=deputy
11 CAESAREAN SECTION – cryptic definition, surface suggesting postal logistics.
12 AIRHEAD – H=husband, inside AI=first rate, READ=book, for the idiot.
15 COCKSURE – COCKS=mate’s, U=university, RE=course in religious studies. The whole is Overconfident
19 CONSOLED – CONSOLE = panel, as in control panel, then (defeate)D
22 CARNEGIE – (a generic)* for Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919), steel gazillionaire and all round good egg!
23 THE CALL OF THE WILD – A book by Jack London . An almost straight clue, where I guess you are meant to think first of the city of London.
27 SET ASIDE – E=oriental, DATES=fruit, around IS, all reversed (up).
28 HAIR – HAIR=locks, sounds like HARE=bolt, nice double deception where “bolt locks” both have a security surface meaning.
30 USED – US=american, ED=edition, whole is dog-eared.
32 COLLAPSE – (close pal)*. Suffering being the anagrind, Breakdown is the definition. This is the likely parsing, although if you dont like “suffering” as an anagrind, then “suffering breakdown” could be the anagrind and it could be an &lit.
34 OUTRIDER – Escort is the definition, word play refers to the conditions or riders in a contract. If something was not in condition, it may be out of a rider (?)
35 EXPLANATORY – EX PLAN-A = not the preferred option, TORY = right. Def is “serving to clarify”
36 DETRIMENTAL – IR TED = irish fellow, reversed (flipping), MENTAL = crazy, whole is causing damage.
37 BRAIN-TEASER – (artisan beer)*, anagrind is fermenting, in a topical way.
40 CIGARILLO – CO=officer, holding A GI=a soldier (reversed) and (d)RILL for the parade-ground exercise.
42 HALLOWING – (churc)H, ALL=everyone, OWING=due
43 ERITREAN – ERIN = poetic term for Ireland, around TREA(t) = nurse, briefly. Whole is the African.
44 INGENUE – Whole is “unsophisticated girl”. Wordplay is IN GENUS = in class, with the direction S=south, becoming E=east
46 WISE TO – WI SET = group of calendar girls, then O=nothing, nice little twist saying “with nothing on” in reference to the film (true story) of Calendar Girls.
47 WEASEL – W=wife, EASEL = support
51 MINT – double def, sweet and packet as in “a lot of money”. Surface uses packet as in “packet of sweets”.

One comment on “Jumbo 981 – the one without some of the clues.”

  1. I forgot to keep track of the time, but I don’t think it was terribly long, for me. LOI 5d & 46d, DK 3d and Calendar Girls, getting those two from the checkers. I counted 11 clues alluding to initial or final letters (eg 16ac ‘initially Serious’, 19d ‘defeateD at last’), rather a lot, I thought, even for a Jumbo. Thanks for explaining 5d, which again I got from checkers.

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