Hello again. This Jumbo I thought was mostly straightforward, though with a couple of spelling issues and one comprehensive nho. And quite a lot of really good clues, such as 39ac and 23dn. What did you think?
Please, do feel free to ask questions or comment as required. We are all friends here..
I use the standard TfTT conventions like underlining the definition, CD for cryptic definition, DD for a double one, *(anargam) and so forth. Nho = “not heard of” and in case of need the Glossary is always handy
While writing my blog I came across a most entertaining Wikipedia entry, about Lt Col AD Wintle. Read it through, and prepard to be amazed.
| Across | |
| 1 | Cricketer possibly left in ship, accompanied by valet (9) |
| SPORTSMAN – PORT (left) inside SS (ship), + MAN (valet, eg Jeeves) | |
| 6 | Story originally promoting farming land (7) |
| PARABLE – P(romoting) + ARABLE (farming land) | |
| 10 | Range of knowledge inspiring a Republican woman (5) |
| KAREN – A + R(epublican) in KEN (range of knowledge, as in “Beyond our ken”) | |
| 13 | Team breaking up? Very funny! (4-9) |
| SIDE-SPLITTING – SIDE (team) + SPLITTING (breaking up) | |
| 14 | Peacemaking proposal NI politician associated with the Republic (9) |
| EIRENICON – EIRE (republic) + NI CON. (NI politician). This was my NHO, and although it did ring the very faintest of bells it has apparently never troubled us here at TfTT before. (Eirenic appeared in a Mephisto, once and in a jumbo way back in 2009). I’m sure all the classicists amongst us had no difficulty though, it being derived from the Greek for peace. | |
| 15 | Wearing down staff in key area of hospital (7) |
| ERODENT – ROD (staff) in E (key of) + ENT (the ear, nose & throat bit of a hospital, at least before it was all turned over to Covid) | |
| 16 | Tuft of grass son thus dropped in food (7) |
| TUSSOCK – S(on) + SO (thus) inside TUCK (food, at least if you are Billy Bunter) | |
| 17 | Shout of praise from house taken by woman in South Africa (7) |
| HOSANNA – HO(use) + ANNA (woman, or at least someone identifying as such) inside SA | |
| 18 | Art involved with son’s Latin renderings (12) |
| TRANSLATIONS – *(ART + SONS LATIN) | |
| 20 | Baker’s company probing father’s attempt very well (10) |
| PASTRYCOOK – CO(mpany) in PA’S TRY (father’s attempt) + OK | |
| 23 | British composer showing ecstatic joy (5) |
| BLISS – A DD, and another example of a coincidence as he appeared in the daily cryptic only two days before | |
| 24 | Obscure character chaps trust at first, possessing good sense (9) |
| JUDGEMENT – G(ood) in JUDE (the obscure) + MEN (chaps) + T(rust) | |
| 25 | Humorist’s better jokes finally gaining acceptance (7) |
|
PUNSTER – (joke)S in PUNTER, a better; and sometimes, though I trust not always, a person with a very poor grasp of probability theory. Puns are the lifeblood of cryptic crosswords and I will not hear a word said against them … Alexander Pope was once heard to say that puns were so easy to produce that they barely counted as humour. Someone present then challenged him to make a pun about keelhauling, to which he instantly replied “Oh! That would indeed be putting a man under a hard ship.” Respect. |
|
| 26 | Doctor he met in cave exploit (11) |
| ACHIEVEMENT – *(HE MET IN CAVE) | |
| 28 | Threaten to go out and push for sensational journalism (6,5) |
| GUTTER PRESS – GUTTER (threaten to go out, what candles sometimes do) and PRESS (push). What The Times often is, in these latter days. | |
| 30 | Musical theatre employee, one who’s made a bob or two? (11) |
| HAIRDRESSER – HAIR (musical) + DRESSER (theatrical employee). Hairdressers have made a bob or two less recently, thanks to covid. | |
| 32 | Short course a choir developed in painting technique (11) |
| CHIAROSCURO – *(COURS(e) + A CHOIR). One of my spelling issues. I had to count the anagrist carefully.. it is a painting technique involving light and shade, sometimes used to justify the exposure of rather more flesh than would normally be expected. | |
| 34 | Take clothes off washerwoman abandoning US city (7) |
| UNDRESS – (la)UNDRESS, a washerwoman without the US city, LA. | |
| 36 | Irritate female, initially using limited amount of cotton? (9) |
| NEEDLEFUL – NEEDLE (irritate) + F(emale) + U(sing) L(imited). You could argue the “limited” is doing double duty here, which I might do, solely to IRRITATE my friend Keriothe 🙂 | |
| 38 | Country briefly served by European record company (5) |
| INDIE – INDI(a) + E(uropean). A type of record publisher that turns up in crosswords more often than one might expect. Perhaps the concatenation of vowels makes it useful to setters | |
| 39 | Flap when English scoff excessively, gulping it back (10) |
| EPIGLOTTIS – IT rev. in E PIG LOTS. A very neat clue although the definition could perhaps have been more helpful. I don’t even know for certain it is correct, as I am far too squeamish to look it up.. what goes on inside, stays inside so far as I am concerned | |
| 41 | Black rook on sign incorporating outsize Jurassic herbivore (12) |
| BRONTOSAURUS – B(lack) R(ook) + ON, + OS in TAURUS (astrological sign, for those that still believe in such) | |
| 45 | Attend police station, not having caught 1950s dropout (7) |
| BEATNIK – BE AT NI(c)K. More 1960s than 50s I would say, but hey, who’s counting, man? | |
| 46 | Unprincipled fellow visiting gallery (7) |
| GODLESS – LES is the fellow visiting the GODS, a gallery high up in a theatre. The definition seems very loose indeed, especially in these secular times. Incorrect, in fact. | |
| 47 | Unfinished craft I found in China? (7) |
| PARTIAL – ART (craft) + I, in PAL (china). Cockney rhyming slang, China plate = mate. | |
| 49 | Like teaching spun out in most of Italy (9) |
| TUITIONAL – *(OUT IN ITAL(y) ) | |
| 50 | Novel Haitian metric calculator? (13) |
| ARITHMETICIAN – *(HAITIAN METRIC) .. coincidence time again, since the same word (pluralised) appeared in the ST cryptic the preceding Sunday | |
| 52 | Move forward quickly, having energy after breather (5) |
| LUNGE – LUNG (breather) + E(nergy) | |
| 53 | Splashed out without hesitation, securing old wind instrument (7) |
| SERPENT – ER (hesitation) in SPENT (splashed out). It does look a little like a snake.. having seen it, I wanted to hear it and it turns out to be surprisingly melodious, especially in the hands of a master such as Patrick Wibart. Wonderful playing. | |
| 54 | Come into conflict after writer produces mystic symbol (9) |
| PENTANGLE – PEN (writer) + TANGLE (come into conflict). I would call it a pentagram myself, if I were being mystic. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | South American with muscle finally caught wanted man (7) |
| SUSPECT – S US (South American, ha ha) + PEC (muscle) + (caugh)T | |
| 2 | Fussy former desire to tour Arab country (3-8) |
| OLD-WOMANISH – OLD (former) + OMAN (Arab country) in WISH (desire). Are we still allowed to say this, both sexist and ageist as it is? Any suggestions as to a suitable replacement? | |
| 3 | Discrimination shown by third of visitors in gallery (5) |
| TASTE – (vi)S(itors) in TATE, the well-known and increasingly ubiquitous art gallery as there are four of them now | |
| 4 | End up arresting large Italian, leader of inept volunteer force (7) |
| MILITIA – L(arge) IT(alian) + I(nept), inside AIM (end) rev. | |
| 5 | Head teachers once (3) |
| NUT – DD. The National Union of Teachers, renamed the National Education Union in 2017 following a merger.. | |
| 6 | Space in US prepared for showjumping competition (9) |
| PUISSANCE – *(SPACE IN US). Puissance is the one where the jump is made higher with each round .. the current record is 7′ 10″ (2.4m) | |
| 7 | African river rises, engulfing centre of exposed area (6) |
| REGION – (exp)O(sed) in NIGER, rev. The Niger is the third largest river in Africa after the Nile and the Congo | |
| 8 | New staff biker at fantasy film (9,2,8) |
| BREAKFAST AT TIFFANYS – *(STAFF BIKER AT FANTASY). Who doesn’t like Audry Hepburn? | |
| 9 | Aural range and musical discrimination’s cool! (7) |
| EARSHOT – EAR’S (musical discrimination) HOT (cool, ie trendy) | |
| 10 | Norfolk town girl supporting college (5,4) |
| KINGS LYNN – KINGS (college) + LYNN, a girl. I remember trying to swim in the sea there once and having to give up because having waded out about 1/2 mile it still was only up to my knees.. or was that Hunstanton? I have never found Norfolk as memorable as some. If you love mountains, it sucks. | |
| 11 | Case regarding scam over in compound? (11) |
| RECONNOITRE – RE CON (regarding scam) + O(ver) in NITRE, your compound, otherwise known as Potassium nitrate, or saltpetre. A main component of gunpowder | |
| 12 | Woman receiving judge, a martial art expert (5) |
| NINJA – J(udge) in NINA, a woman well-known to all crossword fans (see glossary! Also look up Ninja-turtling, while there) | |
| 16 | He, perhaps, is a fraction superior to a boy? Strange! (5,6,8) |
| THIRD PERSON SINGULAR – THIRD (fraction) PER SON (a boy) SINGULAR (strange). They didn’t do grammar at my school, even though it was named after it. But I do know good grammar, when I sees it.. | |
| 19 | Temporarily debar second writer in south of France (7) |
| SUSPEND – S + PEN (second writer) inside SUD (French for South) | |
| 21 | Clumsy northern set broke part of pavement (9) |
| KERBSTONE – *(N SET BROKE). Who didn’t just biff this? | |
| 22 | Be extremely lacking in courage at first, like some old Celts (6) |
| BELGIC – BE + L(ackin)G + I(n) C(ourage). Didn’t bother looking this up, I’m no huge fan of old Celts, not even Mel Gibson | |
| 23 | Accommodation for outriggers primarily in city on river (9) |
| BOATHOUSE – O(utriggers) in BATH (city) + OUSE (one of several rivers). Not quite sure what to underline here since outriggers is clearly part of both the definition and the wordplay. And there is surely a ? missing, or a DBE too. And more double duty! Bring it on .. this is a fine example of how the clue benefits from breaking “unwritten rules.” If they aren’t worth the trouble of publication, why have them? Just to cause annoyance, that’s why. | |
| 24 | Barracks limiting exercise? That’s a surprise! (7) |
| JEEPERS – PE (exercise) in JEERS (barracks, ie heckles). Not a word I would ever use, I fear | |
| 25 | Like some serous membranes — more than one, we hear (7) |
| PLEURAL – sounds like plural, ie more than one. See my comment on 39ac. | |
| 27 | Landscape painter and woodworker (6) |
| TURNER – DD. I have a soft spot for Turner because he often came to stay where I used to live, in West Malling. Not in my actual house, you understand. | |
| 29 | Stone basin initially considered fashionable in Tuscan city (7) |
| PISCINA – C(onsidered) + IN, in PISA, your Tuscan city. i would go to Tuscany more often but there are far too many English there. Well until recently, anyway.. | |
| 31 | Unexpected aid on air in digesting new group of languages (4-7) |
| INDO-IRANIAN – N(ew) in *(AID ON AIR IN). A neat clue, not a promising word/phrase and the surface very nearly makes sense.. good effort | |
| 33 | Damaging articles on subterranean activity (11) |
| UNDERMINING – UN + DER (articles, albeit foreign ones) + MINING | |
| 35 | Wild rose, say, by can in country road (9) |
| EGLANTINE – EG (say) + TIN in LANE (country road). | |
| 37 | Petty thief in Lima introducing fire raiser on radio? (9) |
| LARCENIST – L (Lima, in NATO speak) + ARCENIST, sounds like arsonist | |
| 40 | Income cheers men at the top (7) |
| TAKINGS – TA (cheers) + KINGS, men at the top. | |
| 42 | Melodious phrase finally assimilated by parentless child (7) |
| ORPHEAN – (phras)E in ORPHAN. After Orpheus, mythological Greek singer and musician | |
| 43 | Peaceful situation for Hamlet’s rest? (7) |
| SILENCE – CD. Hamlet’s final words in the eponymous play: “The rest is silence.” | |
| 44 | Imagine fish at bottom of lake (6) |
| IDEATE – IDE (fish) + AT + (lak)E. Always seems a rather ugly word, to me | |
| 45 | Chewed leaf Henry removed from nonconformist chapel (5) |
| BETEL – BET(h)EL. Bethel is a West Bank village, mentioned numerous times in the bible and adopted by various religious groups including the Jehovah’s Witnesses as a name for their places of worship | |
| 48 | Side dish served in Agra, it appears (5) |
| RAITA – hidden, can you see where? | |
| 51 | Trendy joint (3) |
| HIP – DD | |
I must have seen EIRENICON somewhere before, as it went in on autopilot once some crossers were in place. I suspect it was in AZED sometime.
The “unwritten rule” was probably not the same one broken by Michael Palin in the classic “Doug and Dinsdale Piranha” sketch in “Monty Python”. I hadn’t really noticed the double duty in BOATHOUSE at the time.
PUISSANCE (and seeing Charlotte Dujardin on the podium once more) reminded me yet again of my ex, Dastardly Denise (“I wish, I wish she’d go away”).
Les as a random chap in GODLESS was mildly irritating.
KINGS LYNN are in the same league as my beloved Altrincham FC. I doubt I’ll be travelling that far this season.
COD RAITA (I wish I’d thought of that one).
Great blog — thanks Jerry.
KAREN impressed me, given the now-indelible association of the name Karen with a particular type of (usually) Republican woman flaunting her privileged, white supremacist credentials with total disregard for the contempt it engenders. That and OLD WOMANISH might provoke protests, but probably only from those whom the cap fits.
I liked this puzzle, although it wasn’t hard. Several unknowns that required care with the wordplay.
I read 23ac as a semi-&Lit. Technically the definition is just ‘accommodation’ but you need the rest of the clue for it to make sense.
The definition of GODLESS is irritating but that is how the word is used.