Jumbo 986 – June 30th

Author   fathippy2Posted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
I must remember to take some notes when I complete the jumbo as to how it felt, as by the time I sat down to blog two weeks later I couldnt quite remember how it went. I seem to recall that it was pretty quick and the simplest for a while, but didnt want to say that with an element of doubt. Maybe it will come to me as I parse the clues.

Having now gone through everything, it was definitely the quickie that I thought, I think around half an hour, which is great for me for a jumbo. One downside with rushing through though is not really picking the wordplay for the ones that are obvious from checkers, or from one part. Therefore a bit more work was required in places to fill in the wordplay gaps.

o

Across
1 BUTTERCUP – CUP=prize, after B(loom),UTTER=say.
6 SUCCOUR – sounds like SUCKER, def=help
10 SAMOA – This went in straight from seeing MOA=extinct bird, although on reflection I dont entirely get the wordplay. Its either SA(w)= no longer seen, to the west of MOA, or A MOA, next to (after) S=west of “some”. None of these seem perfect, so would be interested to know what others think.
13 RUM BABA – AB=sailor, reversed, after RUMBA=dance.
14 OCULIST – def=person of vision. IS inside O=old, CULT=religious group. You may quibble as to whether CULT and RELIGION overlap, or whether one is distinct from the other, but you get the drift.
15 MEASLES – ME=this person, AS=when, LES=the french. I have to admit that on rushing though this, I did ink in MYASLES, thinking “its probably a disease”, because of the word “OF” which is actually just the link word. I am surprised that the correct answer wasnt screaming out, but thankfully on the read through at the end it did.
16 OLD SOLDIERS NEVER DIE – (dodderers live on isle)*
17 TOE – def=small member. amusing wordplay where “from the W(est)” will be TO E(ast).
18 LYDIAN – (daily)* then N(ewspaper) for the old language, or the F-scale for the musicians out there.
20 STEPPE – STEP=stage, PE=gym. Def=Plain, as in the noun.
21 HINDRANCE – H=hard, INDRA=deity, (o)NCE.
23 SOLITAIRES – SOS=help, outside LIT=burning, A IRE=a passion, for the lone diamond.
25 AT ALL EVENTS – a keen fan would be “at all events”, def=”no matter what happens”
29 LEARN – N=knight, after LEAR=king.
30 AUTOMATA – A U(niversity) TOM=fellow, A TA=group of volunteers. Def=robots
31 AGE LIMIT – I’M IT = I am the bees knees, after A GEL = a set.
34 UP-ANCHOR – U=superior, PAN=vessel, CHOR(e)=short task.
36 PRURIENT – (pier turn)*
37 GORSE – GORGE=deep valley, with S(pread) replacing G(ood).
39 SAVING GRACE – reference to Grace Darling who saved 13 people from a shipwreck.
41 SPLINTERED – (president)* around L for line.
43 POTPOURRI – (prior up to)*
45 MALADY – the two women being MA and LADY.
47 ATTUNE – A TT=dry, (j)UNE= month after the start. The whole is “get used to”.
49 SKI – SKIP=miss, lacking P(ower). slightly convoluted definition.
50 MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS – fairly transparent double definition.
52 MELANGE – EL=the spanish, inside MANGE=skin complaint. Whole is “confusion”.
53 ACHIEVE – I EVE= one fallen woman, after A CH(urch). Definition is “reach”
54 DICTION – DICTATION minus the TA=thanks. Def is manner of speaking.
55 NACRE – ACRE=area of land, on (mountai)N, for the mother of pearl.
56 SCRUMPY – SPY=see, C=cold, RUM=alcoholic drink, inside.
57 STAGE HAND – cryptic definition where the flats are the theatrical painted boards that make up the scenery on stage.

Down
1 BARN OWLS – BOWLS=game, around TARN without the T for temperature.
2 TIMID – “tiny” TIM, then I’D for shy.
3 ELABORATION – ORATION=speech, after BALE=suffering (reversed). Interesting reversal of verbal adjective and noun between the surface and wordplay of “suffering upset”.
4 CLAUDE – LAUD= William Laud, former archbishop, inside CE=church, for the french painter
5 PROTECTORATE – PRO=for, TEC=detective, TO RATE = to assess.
6 SOURSOP – R(ipen), SO=therefore, inside SOUP=puree.
7 CHINESE LANTERNS – ANT=worker, inside (cheerless inn)*
8 ON THE CHEAP – (tech)* inside (a phone)*.
9 RAMADAN – A MAD=loony, inside RAN=sprinted, for the fasting period. This is an often used trick to disguise “fast” for LENT or RAMADAN as an adjective.
10 SPACE TRAVEL – PACE=walk, in ST=street, with RAVEL the composer.
11 MELATONIN – (elation)* inside M(e)N
12 AUSTERE – ST=saint, inside AU=gold, ERE=before.
19 DIORAMA – I O=love, inside DRAMA = play, for the three dimensional depiction of a scene.
22 TAG ALONG – TAGALOG= filipino language, around N for noon. Did not know the language, but there was little else it could be.
24 SOMERSET MAUGHAM – (mammoth sea surge)*
26 LIGHTING – (de)LIGHT IN G(ardens). A fairly badly hidden answer apart from the horticultural use of the word BULBS.
27 SETTER – One in a long line of clues mixing the dog with the person setting the crossword! Perhaps not the best jumbo for the wording of the clue, given the reasonable ease of this particular grid.
28 ALBUMS – A BUM’s = a tramp’s around L=large, for the books
32 MORCEAU – sounds like MORE SO.
33 BELLY DANCERS – (bends clearly)* . Nice little semi &lit.
35 CONFORMANCE – CON=prisoner, MAN=fellow, in FORCE=police.
37 GREAT CIRCLE – GREAT=terrific, CIRCLE=band, for the topological concept applied geographically to the earth even though not strictly spherical.
38 VANITY FAIR – I assume that Vanity is covered in Ecclesiastes, but as an atheist I wouldnt know. Not sure whether this is reasonable clue fodder, unless it is a clear and “headline” connection. FAIR=pretty good.
40 VITRIOLIC – (civil riot)*
42 SEASONED – A SON = a boy, inside SEED= genesis. Def is Expert.
43 POSTMAN – POST = job, MAN=island, whole is “one delivers”
44 RANTERS – RAN=managed, TERS(e)=brusque when prematurely stopping.
46 LOOSELY – ELY=see, LOOS = ladies and gents above, for “vaguely”.
48 TUNDRA – hidden in (fla)T UNDRA(matic).
51 ERICA – ER=head of state, IC= in charge, A, for the lady.

2 comments on “Jumbo 986 – June 30th”

  1. 18:35 here for a straightforward solve.

    In 10ac I was quite happy with S = “west of some”.

    It is possible – indeed recommended if you’re a Times crossword solver – to have a reasonable knowledge of the bible even if you’re an atheist (or, in my case, an agnostic – though Richard Dawkins would claim me as a de facto atheist). It’s also possible that you’ve heard the quote anyway: “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes ch. 1, v. 2)

  2. 71′; I can’t remember what slowed me down, other than taking ‘expert’ at 42d as a noun. Also DK SCRUMPY, so that certainly slowed me down, too. Am I the only person to think that ‘Old soldiers …’ is a really dumb thing to say?

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