Hi all. No strict time for this due to (first session) falling asleep (no reflection on the puzzle – it was bed time!) and (second session) a cute cat needing attention. Roughly speaking, the difference between it taking a little less than an hour and rather over was a handful of clues which I found a bit of a handful, containing between them as they did quite a few NHOs. I was pleased indeed to get them.
After all that I had of course made a silly error, one of those somewhere between a spelling mistake and a typo. You know the kind of thing: you know perfectly well how to spell Manhattan, but your fingers merrily input a ten at the end (a common enough suffix) and your brain doesn’t flag it as wrong because, well, it doesn’t look wrong enough. Not in a down entry, anyway.
Happily, in a Jumbo I don’t mind that kind of slip so much as the time is only to give me a guide for the blog intro.
I liked lots of clues, particularly 43d (as alluded to in the blog heading). Thanks 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 | Belted out ditty about drink (7) |
| SANGRIA — SANG (belted out) + AIR (ditty) backwards (about) | |
| 5a | Person who “liberates” a bit of Assam? (3,4) |
| TEA LEAF — A tea leaf Is Cockney Rhyming slang for a thief; the answer could literally be a bit of Assam (for example, hence the question mark) | |
| 9a | Returning half-sober answer on occasion (2,5) |
| AT TIMES — The reversal of (returning) SEMI–TT (half-sober) and A (answer) | |
| 13a | Very ill-informed GP rationing shot (3-8) |
| PIG-IGNORANT — GP RATIONING anagrammed (shot) | |
| 14a | Ruthless examination for PhD? (5,6) |
| THIRD DEGREE — A PhD may be a THIRD DEGREE | |
| 15a | New Year in French style for southern African native (5) |
| NYALA — NY (New Year) + À LA (in French style – French for “in the manner of”) | |
| 16a | One putting down every single English philosopher (7) |
| ALLAYER — ALL (every single) + AYER (English philosopher) | |
| 17a | Unobtrusive observation of Prince devotee by sleuth (4,2,3) |
| HALF AN EYE — HAL (prince) FAN (devotee) by EYE (sleuth) | |
| 18a | Sort out details, and finish off letters (3,3,2,3,5,3,2) |
| DOT THE IS AND CROSS THE TS — Another definition plus literal interpretation | |
| 23a | Oddity of bachelor eschewing intemperance (8) |
| EERINESS — B (bachelor) is not appearing in (eschewing) [b]EERINESS (intemperance) | |
| 25a | Film about life and work in British Isles, initially convincing (6) |
| BIOPIC — OP (work) in B (British) I I (isles) + initially Convincing | |
| 27a | Articulate girl yearned for believer in spirits (7) |
| ANIMIST — A sound-alike of (articulate) ANNIE (girl) MISSED (yearned) | |
| 30a | Reviewed notable books in turn (5) |
| PIVOT — VIP (notable) reversed (reviewed …) + OT (books) | |
| 32a | A Scottish dear concealing accident, half-cut in Corsican port (7) |
| AJACCIO — A JO (Scottish dear) around (concealing) ACCIdent, half-cut. Not a port I knew, so I was very glad I have met the Scottish dear before in crosswords! |
|
| 33a | Supervisory body recalling both pistol and round (9) |
| REGULATOR — We are reversing (recalling) in turn both LUGER (pistol) and ROTA (round) | |
| 35a | Salt introduced to processed cereals and veg (9) |
| CALABRESE — AB (salt – able seaman) inserted in (introduced to) an anagram of (processed) CEREALS | |
| 36a | Dim male relative content to leave alligator (7) |
| UNCLEAR — UNCLE (male relative) + AlligatoR losing the middle letters (content to leave …) | |
| 37a | Soppy people ultimately shed tears (5) |
| DRIPS — The last letter of (ultimately) sheD + RIPS (tears) | |
| 38a | Temporary Head of IT coming on board during semester (7) |
| INTERIM — The first letter (head) of It entering (coming on board) IN (during) TERM (semester) | |
| 40a | Tell dog to follow sappers (6) |
| RETAIL — TAIL (dog) to follow RE (sappers) | |
| 41a | Leash may wound terrier (8) |
| SEALYHAM — LEASH MAY anagrammed (wound) | |
| 44a | Impulsive peer group producing something out of nothing (11,10) |
| SPONTANEOUS GENERATION — SPONTANEOUS (impulsive) + GENERATION (peer group) | |
| 48a | Weary workforce that upholds standards (9) |
| FLAGSTAFF — FLAG (weary) + STAFF (workforce) | |
| 50a | Dickens sold in Wick without front covers (3,4) |
| OLD NICK — sOLD iN wICK missing the first letters (without front covers) | |
| 53a | Reform in pursuit of constant faith (5) |
| CREDO — REDO (reform) following (in pursuit of) C (constant) | |
| 54a | Mysterious magician let out (11) |
| ENIGMATICAL — MAGICIAN LET anagrammed (out) | |
| 55a | Alcoholic beverage is found in her office, sadly (5,6) |
| IRISH COFFEE — IS found in an anagram of (… sadly) HER OFFICE | |
| 56a | Provide nourishment for bear (7) |
| SUSTAIN — A double definition | |
| 57a | Informal evening turned into regret for entourage (7) |
| RETINUE — NITE (informal evening) reversed (turned) and inserted into RUE (regret) | |
| 58a | Loves assimilating the lines for Shakespearean role (7) |
| OTHELLO — O O (loves) taking in (assimilating) THE and LL (lines) | |
| Down | |
| 1d | Lying on back finally makes you ache (6) |
| SUPINE — The last letters of (finally) makeS yoU + PINE (ache) | |
| 2d | Daughter endlessly teasing upwardly mobile miser (7) |
| NIGGARD — D (daughter) and RAGGINg (teasing) without the last letter (endlessly …), all in reverse (upwardly mobile, in a down entry) | |
| 3d | Without introduction, congregate to play Caribbean music (9) |
| REGGAETON — Without introduction, cONGREGATE anagrammed (to play). This style of music, not to be confused with reggae, was one of my NHOs |
|
| 4d | Sample ultra-romantic fragrance (5) |
| AROMA — Take the answer from inside (sample) ultrA–ROMAntic | |
| 5d | Sustenance for tramps (5,3) |
| TRAIL MIX — A cryptic definition; tramps = walks. (I had tramps = walkers, but much prefer Jackkt’s interpretation below) |
|
| 6d | Fittingly, apartment lay empty (5) |
| APTLY — APT (apartment) + LaY without its centre (empty) | |
| 7d | Admitted removing case of Lenten wine (7) |
| ENTERED — Taking the outside letters away from (removing case of) lENTEn + RED (wine) | |
| 8d | Fine, delicate wind instrument in black box (6,8) |
| FLIGHT RECORDER — F (fine) + LIGHT (delicate) + RECORDER (wind instrument) | |
| 9d | Ace sundial transformed area in Spanish autonomous community (9) |
| ANDALUSIA — A (ace) + SUNDIAL anagrammed (transformed) + A (area) | |
| 10d | Letter and article on former reservists (5) |
| THETA — THE (article) + TA (former reservists) | |
| 11d | Real men swooning over slim, wealthy film star (7,8) |
| MARLENE DIETRICH — REAL MEN anagrammed (swooning) above (over) DIET (slim) + RICH (wealthy) | |
| 12d | Prescient woman getting Victor out of harsh southern sierra (7) |
| SEERESS — After removing V from (getting victor out of) SE[v]ERE (harsh), S (southern) + S (sierra) | |
| 19d | Unaccompanied male carrying garden tool for personal security (7) |
| HOSTAGE — STAG (unaccompanied male) inside (carrying) HOE (garden tool) | |
| 20d | Up before the beak after a grand battle (9) |
| AGINCOURT — IN COURT (up before the beak) after A and G (grand) | |
| 21d | Ran off after Turpin regularly messed about (7) |
| TRIFLED — FLED (ran off) after TuRpIn regularly | |
| 22d | Well-travelled Florentine gives Puccini clothes (8) |
| VESPUCCI — giVES PUCCIni surrounds (clothes) the answer, Amerigo Vespucci. I’m glad he was a hidden! |
|
| 24d | Norris and I leave out rum for rebels (15) |
| REVOLUTIONARIES — An anagram of (… rum) NORRIS and I LEAVE OUT | |
| 26d | Professional writer in bar (9) |
| PROSCRIBE — PRO (professional) + SCRIBE (writer) | |
| 28d | Tedious book containing intellectual’s original research (8) |
| TIRESOME — TOME (book) containing Intellectual’s first letter (original) and RES (research) | |
| 29d | Educational functionary runs away with cake decorator (7,7) |
| CAREERS OFFICER — CAREERS (runs) + OFF (away) + ICER (cake decorator) | |
| 31d | Simple dons produce lace and silk (7) |
| TABARET — BARE (simple) goes inside (dons) TAT (produce lace) | |
| 34d | Plant starts to grow elegant red blooms over time (7) |
| GERBERA — The first letters of (starts to) Grow Elegant Red Blooms above (over) ERA (time) | |
| 39d | Explosive project in part of NYC (9) |
| MANHATTAN — Two definitions, the first referring to the Manhattan project. I’ve spent some time in Los Alamos, including a summer as a student working at the lab (not on anything explosive though) |
|
| 42d | Left fashionable fool wearing extremely outlandish garment (9) |
| LOINCLOTH — L (left) + IN (fashionable) and CLOT (fool) inside (wearing) the outer letters of (extremely) OutlandisH | |
| 43d | Royal icing (8) |
| REGICIDE — A cryptic definition, with icing meaning killing | |
| 44d | Puts up with singular idiots losing diamonds (7) |
| SUFFERS — S (singular) + [d]UFFERS (idiots) losing D (diamonds) | |
| 45d | Drew attention to combat operations moving north (7) |
| SPOTLIT — TILT (combat) and OPS (operations) reversed (moving north). Some people on Fifteensquared use TILT for Thing(s) I Learned Today. One of mine is tilt meaning to joust … [edit] except that it isn’t! – see the first comment below from Kevin |
|
| 46d | Required New England Democrat to interrupt fuel supply (7) |
| NEEDFUL — NE (new England), then D (Democrat) inside (to interrupt) an anagram of (… supply) FUEL | |
| 47d | About to throw up over jacket (6) |
| BOLERO — RE (about) and LOB (to throw) in reverse (up) + O (over) | |
| 49d | Briefly spotted extinct bird in part of Polynesia (5) |
| SAMOA — Without the last letter (briefly) SAw (spotted) + MOA (extinct bird) | |
| 51d | Northern European’s pronounced stoop (5) |
| DEIGN — A homophone: DANE (northern European) is pronounced | |
| 52d | Oddly withdrawn, Warhol interrupts retired fine artist (5) |
| KAHLO — Having removed odd letters (oddly withdrawn), wArHoL goes inside (interrupts) the reversal of (retired) OK (fine) | |
I think CALABRESE was my only DNK; I think I thought it was a style of cooking (chicken Calabrese?). ‘Corsican port’ should have been a gimme, but I needed JO to remind me of the name. VESPUCCI was a nice hidden. Kitty, surely you know of Don Quixote tilting at windmills? LOI by a long shot, and COD, REGICIDE.
Argh, of course I know about Don Quixote tilting at windmills! No idea why that didn’t come to mind.
I’ve heard of Don Quixote tilting at windmills but I’ve never come across ’tilt’ on its own as a word meaning ‘combat’.
Not as a verb, but a tilt is (or was) a combat.
Never heard that either! Not questioning it, just never heard it before.
ODE sv tilt: (historical) a combat for exercise or sport between two men on horseback with lances; a joust.
Another Jumbo completed in one sitting which suggests I found it reasonable straightforward, but I needed aids for two unknowns, AJACCIO and TRAIL MIX. Re the latter, I had in mind ‘tramps’ meaning walks rather than walkers. REGGAETON was also unknown but easy enough to deduce.
Yes, tramps = walks works better, thanks.
7d. Is entered the same part of speech as admitted?
As always many thanks to both setter and blogger.
My comment is the same as my comment to Saturday’s cryptic and will surely reveal my inability to find the proper synonym! And my thanks are sincere in all cases:)
Your query about ‘entered/admitted’ is an interesting one and the only support I can find in the usual sources is in Collins (online) in the American listings which has enter – to get (a person etc) admitted.
An example that may work : ‘I received his application to take part in the event and I entered / admitted him’. I’m still not wholly convinced, but perhaps somebody can think of something better?
To me this doesn’t work. It’s like the distinction between ‘lent’ and ‘borrowed’. You can construct sentences in which the overall sense is the same (‘money lent should be repaid’) but there is a fundamental distinction based on who is doing the lending/borrowing/entering/admitting.
There is no such distinction in the Collins example: I admitted him/I entered him. Unless you take the causative/non-causative distinction to be fundamental. Mind you, I don’t like the clue much.
Where is that? I can’t find it. The relevant definition in Collins is ‘to allow to enter’.
I was referring to Jack’s example from Collins online.
Ah I see, sorry. ‘Get a person admitted’ is in my view fundamentally different to ‘admit a person’. If I get a person admitted I am necessarily not the person doing the admitting.
I think jackkt’s example works, but only just. It still jars, but i can’t think of anything better
I didn’t question this and think the sense Jackkt has supplied works ok.
It is in Chambers: definition 7 of enter (transitive verb) is “to admit”.
A DNF after 2 hours 20 minutes. I had to do a wordsearch to get my LOI, the NHO TABARET. But I had unknowingly already come unstuck with my invention of TRAIL PIE to feed the tramps at 5dn. Still, it’s good when such inventions do actually work – like ANNIE MISSED at 27ac. I liked TEA LEAF (the liberator) and (B)EERINESS. COD to REGICIDE
I might have added TABARET to my NHOs. I think it is probably a BHO (barely heard of) – but as we’ve seen, I don’t even know what I do and don’t know!
I got through this unscathed but there is some strange stuff in it. AJACCIO is a double obscurity of the kind I particularly dislike, even if I remembered JO from past crosswords (possibly Mephisto).
I have never heard of SPONTANEOUS GENERATION so the fact that it doesn’t mean ‘producing something out of nothing’ didn’t bother me unduly, but it doesn’t.
ROYAL ICING, on the other hand, is brilliant. I wonder if it’s been done before.
Laughed at regicide. Nothing particularly remarkable otherwise, a steady solve.
Jo = girlfriend is a familiar word, I didn’t know it was Scottish particularly.
I knew Jo (didn’t it come up a while back?) from the Burns poem, ‘John Anderson, my Jo, John’; where it doesn’t mean ‘girlfriend’!
As a child with wanderlust but not yet the means to act on it, I used to read the section in the Telegraph showing expected temperatures for various places around the world, and I seem to remember Ajaccio being one of the first – if not the first – entries in that list. For whatever reason it stuck. It’s where Napoleon was born.
Also, re 45D, from “A Game of Thrones” (p.311): “Ned walked with the king to the jousting field. He had promised to watch the final tilts with Sansa.”