This took me longer than usual – around 35 minutes, though I had several interruptions so I can’t give an accurate estimate. I’m not sure whether the timing reflects the difficulty of the puzzle, or the presence of a lively 11-year-old visitor! As usual, * indicates an anagram.
Across |
1 |
ABYSSINIAN CAT – ABYSS + IN, + INCA + T around A |
8 |
ELDERSHIP – ‘ELD (“common” pronunciation of held) + ER (letters on UK pillar boxes since Elizabeth became Queen) + SHIP |
13 |
CELLO – CELL, + O (i.e. zero, not one) |
14 |
LA DOLCE VITA – (vacillated + o)*. “Bed of roses” here has the metaphorical meaning of an easy or comfortable situation |
15 |
VOTER – from ventuRE TO Vilify, reversed |
16 |
DUODECIMO – DUOMO, around ICED (reversed) |
17 |
SUMP – SUM + P |
18 |
SHANGHAI – HANG in SH, + AI. HANG here has the contemporary meaning, as in “just hanging” |
20 |
UNSEAT – UN’S + EAT |
21 |
COLOSSUS OF RHODES – CO + (sold houses for)* + Small. The definition is “wonder”, not “small wonder”! |
24 |
DUMP TRUCK – mud (reversed), + RUCK, around PT (= physical training) |
26 |
LEAN-TOS – LEAN + TOSh
|
27 |
PUT ON – not up (reversed). “Present” here is in the sense of to stage or perform a show |
29 |
WOMEN’S LIBBER – (miners below, +B)* |
31 |
WALL-TO-WALL – W, + ALL TOW ALL |
33 |
TEA-SERVICE – TEASER + VICE |
35 |
HOUSE SPARROW – USES surrounded by HOP + ARROW |
38 |
ISSUE – tISSUE |
39 |
RIBBONY – RIB + BONY |
40 |
MEANS TEST – M, + EST + EST around AN |
42 |
GRANDSTAND FINISH – GRAND + STAND + FINISH (which sounds like Finnish) |
44 |
EMBLEM – MELBa (as in Dame Nellie Melba, the soprano), reversed, after EM (printing term for a space) |
47 |
TOADFLAX – TO + AD + F + LAX |
49 |
WART – last letters of neW areA manageR ouT |
50 |
OLD FLAMES – a rather neat double definition |
52 |
EASEL – EASE + L |
53 |
ENGLISH PALE – (helping seal)*. I hadn’t previously come across this term, which means a part of Ireland that was once controlled by the English government. It turns out it’s the origin of the phrase “beyond the pale” |
54 |
MANGE – MANGEr
|
55 |
TEDIOUSLY – (outside)* + LobbY |
56 |
GORDON BENNETT – END in BENT, following (General) GORDON. For those who aren’t UK natives: the phrase GORDON BENNETT is often used to express surprise, incredulity or exasperation |
Down |
1 |
ARCHDRUID – ARCHeD, + RU (Rugby Union), + ID (identification, clued by “badge”). |
2 |
YELLOWS – cryptic definition. A newspaper (broadsheet or otherwise) turns yellow if exposed to the sun |
3 |
STONE MARTEN – (man on street)* |
4 |
NELLIE – LENt, reversed, + LIE. I wonder if this alludes to Nellie Melba, as in the clue to 44ac? |
5 |
AUDIOBOOK – clue refers to 23dn, GULLIVER’S TRAVELS. I wasn’t too keen on this clue, unless I’ve missed something |
6 |
COLD-SHOULDER – COLonel, + RED (reversed) around SHOULD |
7 |
THERMOSTAT – hidden in neTHERMOST ATtachment
|
8 |
EPIC – E (ecstasy), + PIC (photograph, = shot). I wasn’t keen on “Blown up” as the definition of EPIC |
9 |
DEATH OF A SALESMAN – a nice cryptic indication of the play by Arthur Miller |
10 |
RAVEN – cRAVEN |
11 |
HITCHED – HITCH + EDitor
|
12 |
PARKINSON’S LAW – PARK, + SONS in IN-LAW |
19 |
ASHTRAYS – AS + HiT + RAYS |
22 |
HIPPO – HIPPOcrates
|
23 |
GULLIVER’S TRAVELS – L + LIVER’S, in GUT, + RAVEL’S |
25 |
MAMMALS – M + A MM + ALSo
|
28 |
TEA TREE – ThEATRE + E |
29 |
WATLING STREET – W, + (long + interstate)* |
30 |
BACKBONE – BACK, + ONE (= I) under tuB |
32 |
BODY-SNATCHER – (r + by not chased)*. Burke and Hare were infamous body-snatchers in Edinburgh in the 1820s |
34 |
EMEND – orientatioN in E MED (East Mediterranean) |
36 |
ASSEMBLYMAN – ASSEMBLY + M + AN |
37 |
GOD-FEARING – FE (Fe, chemical symbol for iron), in GO + DARING |
40 |
MUSCOVADO – MUSCOVy + ADO. I’m ambivalent about “Shortage in Russia once” to indicate MUSCOV |
41 |
TIME-SHEET – (these emit)* |
43 |
AMASSED – AM + AS, + DES (reversed) |
45 |
LE MONDE – LEMONaDE |
46 |
ADVERB – eVER in AD + B |
48 |
FOLIO – initial letters of French Open Light Italian Opera |
51 |
EGGY – EG + Good + daY |
Re 56ac: the OED marks it as “Brit. colloq.” but this phrase is rather a puzzle, the eponymous Bennett being a New York newspaper publisher, though confusingly best known for sponsoring several European motor races, eg the Gordon Bennett Trophy in Ireland. There is an interesting and authoritative article about the phrase, here
53ac, which I had not come across before, turns out also to be interesting etymologically. The OED says “The theory that the origin of the phrase relates to any of several specific regions, such as the area of Ireland formerly called the Pale … is not supported by the early historical evidence and is likely to be a later rationalization.” The WWW article about it is here.
Edited at 2012-08-04 08:09 am (UTC)
Some nice clues – I particularly liked 9dn (DEATH OF A SALESMAN).
I was quite happy with “shortage in Russia once” for MUSCOV in 40dn, but I agree that 5dn (AUDIOBOOK) seems weak – either that or we’re both missing something. (Answer to your question about 4dn: not on your Nellie! 😉
However, she did get the answer to the last clue (8D), and has shown some interest since so I have hopes that she will continue to learn.