Evenin’ all.
This week’s puzzle was largely straightforward I think, taking me comfortably under 45 mins to complete. Maybe the preponderance of fairly straightforward charades & insertions helped.
First in, weirdly, was PENULTIMATE and last was SOURPUSS.
If any of my explanations don’t make sense then feel free to ask for further elucidation.
The technical stuff:
Clues are in blue (unless you’re in dark mode) with the definition underlined. Anagram indicators are in bold italics.
Notation:
DD: Double definition
CD: Cryptic definition
DDCDH: DD/CD hybrid where a straight definition is combined with a cryptic hint.
&Lit: “all in one” where the entire clue is both definition and wordplay.
(fodder)* denotes an anagram of the letters in the brackets.
Rounded brackets are also used to add further clarity
Squiggly brackets {} indicate parts of a word not used
Deletions are struck out
Square brackets [] expand an abbreviation or shortening like T[ime]
| Across | |
| 1 | Standing out for what could be potato worker? (11) |
| PROTUBERANT – PRO, TUBER, ANT | |
| 7 | Second of gumboots in template cobbled next to last (11) |
| PENULTIMATE – ({g}U{mboots} in template)* | |
| 13 | No easy-going quality in exam set by one head (9) |
| TESTINESS – TEST, I, NESS | |
| 14 | Practicality is getting into orbit? (7) |
| REALISM – IS in REALM | |
| 15 | Party reduced grass order (5) |
| DORIC – DO, RIC{e} | |
| 16 | Note gold put on ring (6) |
| CORDON – C (musical note), OR, DON | |
| 17 | Did badly in what thespians did, taking a lot of hits? (8) |
| ADDICTED -(did)* in ACTED | |
| 18 | As close as any new love, but not the first (7) |
| NEAREST – N[ew] dEAREST | |
| 20 | Where competitors are saddled with drug tests after game (9,5,6) |
| BADMINTON HORSE TRIALS – HORSE (heroin), TESTS after BADMINTON | |
| 23 | I had first of infections of the ear, making one thick-headed (7) |
| IDIOTIC – I’D, I{nfections}, OTIC | |
| 24 | A grain’s processed for alcoholic drink (7) |
| SANGRIA – (a grains)* | |
| 26 | Plain girl in photograph, perhaps (7) |
| PROSAIC – ROSA in PIC | |
| 28 | Twenty-five pounds fraud when horse fails to show (4) |
| PONY – PhONY. Not to be confused with a monkey / £500. | |
| 29 | Memory aid is classic in omen myths showing only partial recall? (8) |
| MNEMONIC – reverse hidden | |
| 32 | Found where one might study (9) |
| INSTITUTE – DD | |
| 35 | Way of putting down surly worker (9) |
| SHORTHAND – SHORT, HAND | |
| 36 | Polemic answer resounded in tone (8) |
| HARANGUE – A[nswer] RANG in HUE | |
| 37 | Time fixed over trial (4) |
| TEST – T[ime] SET all reversed | |
| 39 | Architect’s designed uniform new style (7) |
| LUTYENS – (U{niform} N[ew] style)* | |
| 41 | Language sometimes used by setter, often before breakfast (7) |
| ENGLISH – I’m not really sure how to describe this, but you can have an English setter dog and an English breakfast. | |
| 44 | Indicate what could be the harbour wall? (7) |
| PORTEND – PORT END | |
| 45 | Just purchase enamel, we’re told (2,3,4,2,4,5) |
| BY THE SKIN OF ONES TEETH – sounds like buy the skin of ones teeth, although only one word is a homophone | |
| 49 | Cheat careful handling business associate? (7) |
| CONTACT – CON, TACT | |
| 50 | Irish linked with O’Casey primarily: abroad, what’s the language of Seneca? (8) |
| IROQUOIS -IR[ish], O{‘Casey}, QUOI (what in French), ‘S. “The Seneca are a group of Indigenous Iroquoian-speaking people who historically lived south of Lake Ontario”. | |
| 51 | Endlessly short in government revenue chest (6) |
| THORAX – sHORt in TAX | |
| 53 | Returning bad old fruit (5) |
| OLIVE – EVIL O[ld] reversed | |
| 54 | Love like an old PM? Not that! (7) |
| CHERISH – thatCHERISH. The first of two Uxbridge entries in this puzzle. | |
| 55 | Mostly keen about new journey round in train (9) |
| ENTOURAGE – EAGE{r} around N[ew] TOUR | |
| 56 | Care for dog that’s eaten rook — pointer, perhaps? (11) |
| TRENDSETTER – TEND SETTER around R[ook]. | |
| 57 | In hollow, I’m sheltering antelope that shows injury (11) |
| DISABLEMENT – DENT around I’M around SABLE. I knew the Marten but not the antelope. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Coup when school has placed first (6) |
| PUTSCH – SCH[ool] after PUT | |
| 2 | Remark on job where one’s always on the lookout (11,4) |
| OBSERVATION POST – OBSERVATION, POST | |
| 3 | Steadiness of university supporting dreaming Walter losing heart (10) |
| UNIFORMITY -UNI FOR MItTY | |
| 4 | Flat like number ten, but not thirteen (4) |
| EVEN – DD | |
| 5 | Thorough idiot — I work for two — useless (9) |
| ASSIDUOUS – ASS, I, DUO, |
|
| 6 | Film appearing on surface like a mountain lake, perhaps (7) |
| TARNISH – like a tarn. More Uxbridge fun. | |
| 7 | One with stamina in exercises beginning on ropes and one who will face walls (9) |
| PLASTERER – LASTER in P[hysical] E[ducation], R{opes} | |
| 8 | Nymph upsetting Diana (5) |
| NAIAD – (Diana)*. It helps to know your nymphs, muses, graces, fates and all that stuff when doing a Times crozzer. | |
| 9 | Sweet tree just before fall (5,4) |
| LEMON DROP – LEMON, DROP | |
| 10 | State capital is country port of Italy south (12) |
| INDIANAPOLIS – INDIA, NAPOLI, S[outh]. Nice spot, setter, I hadn’t noticed that before. | |
| 11 | Broadcast not so much that’s stuffy (7) |
| AIRLESS – AIR, LESS | |
| 12 | Get worked up being caught by it in river (6) |
| EXCITE – C[aught] IT in EXE | |
| 19 | Snake is a hoax when there’s nothing around (8) |
| ANACONDA – A, CON in NADA | |
| 21 | Great feeling when sister, say, has run away (7) |
| ELATION – rELATION | |
| 22 | Cede pact with changes agreed (8) |
| ACCEPTED – (cede pact)* | |
| 23 | Naughtily suggest including headless kipper? (8) |
| IMPISHLY – IMPLY around fISH | |
| 25 | Symphony penned by Beethoven in Thuringen (5) |
| NINTH – hidden | |
| 27 | Criminal menaced amateurs in gaming establishment (9,6) |
| AMUSEMENT ARCADE – (menaced amateurs)* | |
| 30 | Patient’s admitted one day with wife — not around the weekend (7) |
| MIDWEEK – MEEK around I D[ay] W[ife] | |
| 31 | My good current dog (5) |
| CORGI – COR, G[ood] I (symbol for electric current) | |
| 33 | Cat we have is chasing small shrew? (8) |
| SOURPUSS – OUR PUSS after S[mall] | |
| 34 | Where the satnav is looking greatly superior (7,5) |
| STREETS AHEAD – DDCDH | |
| 38 | Energy-efficient dwelling where one goes to pot? (10) |
| GREENHOUSE – GREEN, HOUSE | |
| 40 | Display a lot of glasses (9) |
| SPECTACLE – SPECTACLE{s} | |
| 42 | Boatman taking rest in Middle-earth kingdom (9) |
| GONDOLIER – LIE in GONDOR | |
| 43 | Convenience of shandies, mixed with tip of spoon (9) |
| HANDINESS – (shandies {spoo}N)* | |
| 45 | Book with story about tree blaze (7) |
| BONFIRE – B[ook], ONE (that’s a good one / joke / story) around FIR | |
| 46 | Red and juicy — satisfied eating it (7) |
| FLUSHED – LUSH inside FED | |
| 47 | Confront a Conservative over expense (6) |
| ACCOST – A C[onservative] COST | |
| 48 | Ace and ten Peter used badly (6) |
| EXPERT – (X (ten) PETER)* | |
| 50 | All over the place in record time (5) |
| INEPT – IN, E[xtended] P[lay], T[ime] | |
| 52 | Attempt cricketers mounted (4) |
| STAB – BATS reversed | |
No problems, other than not knowing the antelope, and not knowing the horse trials. SABLE was easy enough to infer, but there was no way to get BADMINTON other than from checkers or trying to think of a 9-letter game. I misremembered LUTYENS as Luytens, which made 2d difficult. 30d seemed weak, with ‘week’ being in the definition and the wordplay. US=useless (unserviceable), no?
Of course you’re right about U/S Kevin, well done for spotting this week’s deliberate mistake.
Reasonably straightforward. I thought the clueing had some clumsy moments – agree with comment on 30d, and the 1d surface didn’t seem to me to make sense! However, some great clues as well – e.g. 20a, 5d. DUO definitely OK for (musical) work – e.g. Mozart K423 and K424 for violin and viola.
I wrote ‘Dead easy’ on my copy but I failed to parse FLUSHED and must have forgotten that I used aids for IROQUOIS, a word I’d heard of but was unable to construct from wordplay. I knew Seneca only with reference to famous Romans and lost time wondering what Latin had to do with it.
59 minutes so, yes, a nice straightforward one. I don’t often finish a Jumbo in less than an hour.
i enjoyed whizzing tjrough it.
No problem with ENGLISH at 41ac (English setter and English breakfast) yet it used a similar device to the clue for GUINEA that caused so many of us so much difficulty a couple of days ago (guinea pig).
I thought MNEMONIC was an excellent reverse hidden, so it was a bit of a shame that the definition (memory aid) was enough without it. And I noticed and enjoyed the UED entries, although I’m not sure (That)CHERISH would qualify either way. I liked SOURPUSS.
And I have added two more indirect anagrams to my nerdy list: ten peter giving expert, and uniform new style giving Lutyens
Quite straightforward, but some nice clues. I liked CHERISH, TARNISH and IMPISHLY most. All done in 28 minutes. Thanks Penfold and setter.
Hi John, do you find you solve more slowly when you’re on blogging duty? I certainly do, no biffing and trying to parse everything fully at the time rather than post-solve or even when writing up the blog.
Interesting question. I don’t think so as I always solve on paper the same way whether blogging or not. Then I enter the answers online to enter the competition and, when it’s my turn, create the blog framework. I will generally look some things up post-solve to check my answers or investigate the GK I didn’t know when I solved the clue from the wordplay. I don’t include that in my solving time. When it’s a long one I often enter a solution to an anagram without fully working it out… and may come a cropper with that when I can’t spell the answer correctly! I’ve had a few moments when doing the blog where I discover I’ve got an answer wrong for that reason or because I haven’t properly worked out the wordplay… i.e. biffed incorrectly. I do find blogging the puzzle interesting as I nearly always discover things about some of the GK referenced that I wouldn’t have found otherwise and sometimes, with particularly tricky clues, how the parsing works when I’ve just hit and hoped.
OVIVE, damn.
My habit of solving jumbos when the blog appears means I have a lot of solving to do today.
This was an odd one. I whizzed through almost all of it, then got completely stuck on seven or eight clues and didn’t put anything in for several minutes, then suddenly got all of them in quick succession.
I was much the same, becoming becalmed with about 6 answers to go. Solving Jumbos is often like that for me… getting nearly finished and then having to muse before getting the last few all at once.