Greetings from York, where I am in attendance at John Henderson’s annual Sloggers & Betters gathering. As a result I may be late and/or or under the influence when replying to any comments.
I solved most of this on the journey up, and it was certainly a welcome diversion from being crammed with fellow suffers into an overcrowded train.
When around people, and especially when travelling, my solving ability nosedives from somewhere between mediocre and half decent to “has trouble thinking of a three letter animal to fit C_T”. As a result I have no sensible time to report, but was glad to almost finish. Almost, because I put AUTOSTRADE in place of AUTOSTRADA – I blame my travel-addled state. I needed to set aside a couple of interlinked sections for later: GHANA/GEYSER/GREYMATTER and ARBORESCENT/TELESCOPE, but got there in the end.
On writing this up I noticed that we have a generous helping of homophones and double definitions. There were quite a few candidates for my pick of the clues: POINTLESS is on the long side, but I liked the construction and the surface being potentially appropriate for me this weekend. Cheers setter!
Definitions are underlined in the clues below. In the explanations, quoted indicators are in italics, explicit [deletions] are in square brackets, and I’ve capitalised and emboldened letters which appear in the ANSWER. For clarity, I omit most link words and some juxtaposition indicators.
| Across | |
| 1a | In vain, still awaiting service from bartender, allowing round character to push in? (9) |
| POINTLESS — PINTLESS (still awaiting service from bartender), letting in (allowing … to push in) O (round character) | |
| 6a | Reservists accessing land from the East after deposing leader in country (5) |
| QATAR — TA (reservists) going inside (accessing) [i]RAQ (land) reversed (from the East), its first letter having been removed (after deposing leader) | |
| 9a | A doctor getting around predicament, gallant (7) |
| ADMIRER — A + DR (doctor) getting around MIRE (predicament) | |
| 13a | Odd bits removed from boiled rice, wrinkly (5) |
| OLDIE — Odd bits removed from bOiLeD rIcE | |
| 14a | Scene I love in theatrical piece (7) |
| DIORAMA — I and O (love) in DRAMA (theatrical piece) | |
| 15a | Communicate anger initially in rage (3,6) |
| GET ACROSS — The first letter of (initially) Anger in GET CROSS (rage) | |
| 16a | Criminal, harmless beauty (11) |
| SAFECRACKER — SAFE (harmless) + CRACKER (beauty) | |
| 17a | One revealing all as tapestries unravelled, beginning on reconstruction (11) |
| STRIPTEASER — TAPESTRIES anagrammed (unravelled) + the first letter of (beginning on) Reconstruction | |
| 18a | Maestro in control, by the sound of it? (6) |
| HANDEL — HANDLE (control), homophone (by the sound of it) | |
| 19a | Idyllic Scottish isle inspiring painting by Pissarro, originally (8) |
| UNSPOILT — UNST (Scottish isle) taking in (inspiring) OIL (painting) next to (by) the first letter of (… originally) Pissarro | |
| 21a | African really, African land (6) |
| SOMALI — SO (really) + MALI (African land) | |
| 25a | Avian selection from menu: that chicken? (8) |
| NUTHATCH — A neatly hidden selection from meNU: THAT CHicken | |
| 26a | Note, I falter after passing motorway (14) |
| DEMISEMIQUAVER — I and QUAVER (falter) after DEMISE (passing) and M (motorway) | |
| 28a | Fermentation ingredient for instance fuelling still (5) |
| YEAST — AS (for instance) inside (fuelling) YET (still) | |
| 29a | Cub that is beside man (6) |
| ROOKIE — IE (that is) beside ROOK (man, chess piece) | |
| 30a | Through taking leave, work at getting around puzzlement (10) |
| PERPLEXITY — PER (through) + EXIT (leave) with PLY (work at) outside (getting round) | |
| 33a | Quick way golden tortilla stuffed with last of cheddar (10) |
| AUTOSTRADA — AU (golden) + TOSTADA (tortilla) containing (stuffed with) the final letter of (last of) cheddaR. Not sure about AU for golden rather than gold | |
| 35a | Month before king of France backed youth (6) |
| JUNIOR — JUN (month) before ROI (king of France) reversed (backed) | |
| 36a | In declaration, acquire land (5) |
| GHANA — Sounds like (in declaration) GARNER (acquire) | |
| 38a | Blow that may have loosened dentures? (4,2,3,5) |
| KICK IN THE TEETH — A literal KICK IN THE TEETH might well have loosened dentures, if dentures are the teeth in question | |
| 40a | One couldn’t translate last part of poem, too long for translation (8) |
| MONOGLOT — The last part of poeM + TOO LONG anagrammed (for translation) | |
| 42a | Leading to end of obstruction, mostly healthy (6) |
| LETHAL — LET (obstruction) +all but the last letter of (mostly) HALe (healthy) | |
| 43a | Animal‘s oink best neglected (8) |
| STEINBOK — OINK BEST anagrammed (neglected) | |
| 44a | Spring when fellow overheard? (6) |
| GEYSER — GEEZER (fellow), sound-alike (overheard?). Other pronunciations of geyser are available, but the question mark covers that | |
| 47a | As, for example, planes run well during first minutes of flight? (11) |
| ARBORESCENT — R (run) and BORE (well) inside (during) ASCENT (first minutes of flight?) | |
| 50a | Token: give fourth out, banking first of cash (4,7) |
| GIFT VOUCHER — GIVE FOURTH anagrammed (out) around (banking) the initial letter of (first of) Cash | |
| 52a | Socially distancing in a fog (6,3) |
| SPACED OUT — When socially distancing, people are literally SPACED OUT | |
| 53a | Girl wearing old fifties garment (7) |
| OVERALL — VERA (girl) inside (wearing) O (old) and L L (fifties) | |
| 54a | Stout or plonk? (5) |
| PLUMP — Two definitions | |
| 55a | Doing a twirl in dress, it amuses artist (7) |
| MATISSE — In reverse (doing a twirl), the answer is in drESS, IT AMuses | |
| 56a | Sticky stuff, make error again? (5) |
| RESIN — RE–SIN (make error again?) | |
| 57a | Care when mate tumbles into river (9) |
| TREATMENT — MATE is anagrammed (tumbles) and put into TRENT (river) | |
| Down | |
| 1d | Churchgoing liberal missing company initially (5) |
| PIOUS — [co]PIOUS (liberal) without (missing) its initial CO (company) | |
| 2d | What might be an incident I felt I messed up, having trapped organ (10,7) |
| INDEFINITE ARTICLE — INCIDENT I FELT I anagrammed (messed up) surrounding (having trapped) EAR (organ) | |
| 3d | Sweet nurse containing spillage of claret (7,4) |
| TREACLE TART — TREAT (nurse) containing an anagram (spillage) of CLARET | |
| 4d | Draw? Result needing attention (6) |
| ENDEAR — END (result) + EAR (attention) | |
| 5d | Awful taking belt out to constrict part of leg (8) |
| SHOCKING — SING (belt out) around (to constrict) HOCK (part of leg) | |
| 6d | As subversive on pier had, seaside picture (12) |
| QUADROPHENIA — QUA (as, Latin for “in the capacity of”) + an anagram of (subversive) ON PIER HAD | |
| 7d | In conversation pour liquor, as unifying resolution (4,6) |
| TEAM SPIRIT — Homophone of (in conversation) TEEM (pour) + SPIRIT (liquor) | |
| 8d | I’ve got that man (5) |
| ROGER — A double definition | |
| 9d | Pour in an Italian drink for starters (9) |
| ANTIPASTI — TIP (pour) in AN and ASTI (Italian drink) | |
| 10d | Audio equipment important, computer accessory unimportant (6,5) |
| MICKEY MOUSE — A charade of MIC (audio equipment), KEY (important) and MOUSE (computer accessory) | |
| 11d | Cultural identity courses discussed? (5) |
| ROOTS — ROUTES (courses), sound-alike (discussed) | |
| 12d | Place for break from teaching bible class (6) |
| RESORT — RE (teaching bible) + SORT (class). Teaching bible should be read as teaching of or about the bible | |
| 18d | Something up sleeve, natural killer initially charging money for mischief (5-5) |
| HANKY-PANKY — HANKY (something up sleeve) + the first letters of (… initially) Natural Killer filling (charging) PAY (money) | |
| 20d | Unusual instrument just spinning in gossamer (8) |
| THEREMIN — The reversal of (… spinning) MERE (just) in THIN (gossamer) | |
| 22d | Be vulnerable to damage by stick — as might tomato plant? (4,2,1,5,5) |
| LIVE IN A GLASS HOUSE — Two definitions; the dictionary one is underlined | |
| 23d | Recorder, one making music? (6) |
| SCORER — A double definition | |
| 24d | Common sense to carry weight under horse (4,6) |
| GREY MATTER — MATTER (to carry weight) under GREY (horse) | |
| 27d | My nutritional value (8) |
| GOODNESS — Another double definition | |
| 31d | Copy the sixth of Henry’s books (6) |
| PARROT — PARR (the sixth of Henry’s) + OT (books) | |
| 32d | Placing coin, there’s a hole in it (7,5) |
| PUTTING GREEN — PUTTING (placing) + GREEN (coin, money) | |
| 34d | Little bits present in mess tin, gone off (11) |
| SMITHEREENS — HERE (present) in MESS TIN anagrammed (gone off) | |
| 36d | Entertainer on hand? (5,6) |
| GLOVE PUPPET — A cryptic definition | |
| 37d | Cryptic inspected, filled with old tricks (10) |
| DECEPTIONS — An anagram of (cryptic) INSPECTED filled with O (old) | |
| 39d | Concertina reflecting instrument? (9) |
| TELESCOPE — Two definitions, the first a verb | |
| 41d | Style in Versailles, period trousers unfashionable after revolution (8) |
| BOUFFANT — BOUT (period) goes around (trousers) the reversal of (… after revolution) NAFF (unfashionable) | |
| 45d | Reportedly fine coach (6) |
| HANSOM — Sounds like (reportedly) HANDSOME (fine) | |
| 46d | Sophisticated Soviet letter, every other part redacted (6) |
| SVELTE — SoViEt LeTtEr with alternate letters removed (every other part redacted) | |
| 48d | Devil, since secured by stake (5) |
| BEAST — AS (since) inside (secured by) BET stake | |
| 49d | Key — what to do with it? (5) |
| ENTER — The key is first a computer key, then it is a device for unlocking and hence a means to ENTER | |
| 51d | Again, plant that’s lush coming up (5) |
| REPOT — TOPER (lush) reversed (that’s coming up) | |
DNF; never got UNSPOILT or QUADROPHENIA. DNK UNST, and NHO QUADROPHENIA, which I can’t find in ODE or Collins. I had some MERs over definitions: to get CROSS is hardly to rage; SVELTE is hardly sophisticated; GREY MATTER is intelligence not common sense; coin may = money, and GREEN may = money, but that doesn’t mean that coin=green.
You wouldn’t find Quadrophenia in a dictionary, it being a proper noun, any more than you would find Jurassic Park etc… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadrophenia_(film).
From Collins: “SVELTE: 2. urbane or sophisticated”
Agree with you, about the other MERs though
I belatedly looked up Quadrophenia; never did hear of it.
This was hard. At the time I abandoned it with 2 hours on the clock, eighty-something per cent done. I finished it off last night, helped b by the fresh look and a couple of goes with the wordsearch app (it seems such a shame not to finish when you’re so close). I was held up most by PERPLEXITY, GHANA, STEINBOK (of course), ARBORESCENT, GREY MATTER and DECEPTIONS.
I was OK with QUADROPHENIA; I was a Mod (well, I had a scooter and parka). I wasn’t at Brighton but I know the events, the album and the movie.
I liked HANSOM and GEYSER for the little light relief
I found this quite hard, as a result of which I am a week behind now with the jumbos. I may skip last week’s, life too short..