Hello everyone. I did this on a train journey which always makes it harder to think. After an encouraging start I ran into problems at the end. I turned to aids to get the first part of 46a PANHANDLE STATE, which in turn was needed to disabuse me of the notion that 43d was somehow going to be PAINT POT. D’oh, PLANT, of course! Correct answers do have a habit of making much more sense than wrong ones …
The question marks in 6d and 15d confused me: my first assumption was there was an error, which meant I approached them with caution.
There are some in-depth constructions here as well as a few oblique definitions and wordplay elements. In many places I could have added further explanation, so do shout if anything isn’t clear.
My favourite clue is probably 32a, and not just because I’ve been watching some classic episodes of DOCTOR WHO. I also liked 33d, ONMISHAMBLES.
Thanks setter!
Definitions are underlined in the clues below. In the explanations, quoted indicators are in italics, specified [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 | Something slimy in effect left sink needing an overhaul? (9) |
| GASTROPOD — In reverse (… needing an overhaul), DO (effect), PORT (left) and SAG (sink) | |
| 6a | Reused manuscript is in France: father stumbles upon it (10) |
| PALIMPSEST — EST (is in France): adjacent to that (… upon it) is PA (father) and LIMPS (stumbles) | |
| 12a | In North America, run into terrible chap’s old band (7) |
| NIRVANA — In NA (North America), R (run), which in turn goes into IVAN (terrible chap) | |
| 13a | Assembled vehicles working for frontiersman (3,6) |
| KIT CARSON — KIT CARS (assembled vehicles) + ON (working) | |
| 14a | Scum, something on lip quaffing last of beer (5) |
| TRASH — TASH (something on lip) taking in (quaffing) the final letter (last) of beeR | |
| 16a | Whoops, retiring primates squeezed tight! (12) |
| CHEESEPARING — CHEERING (whoops), with backwards (retiring) APES (primates) inside (squeezed) | |
| 17a | Cultural learning from politician I’m referring to after a Republican (3,7) |
| ART HISTORY — THIS TORY (politician I’m referring to) after A and R (Republican) | |
| 19a | Best picture? (2,4,2,2,4) |
| AS GOOD AS IT GETS — Two definitions. The second refers to this 1997 film starring Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt | |
| 22a | One living on Crete, say, smearing on fourth of lotion (8) |
| ISLANDER — SLANDER (smearing) next to (on) the fourth letter of lotIon | |
| 24a | One taking deliveries of cherries, maybe, finding means to access container (6) |
| OPENER — Two definitions: a cherry is slang for a new cricket ball | |
| 25a | Scale mountain finally, a ridge etc formed around it (10) |
| CENTIGRADE — The last letter of (… finally) mountaiN, with A RIDGE ETC anagrammed (formed) around it | |
| 26a | Capital where vessel remains (5) |
| TUNIS — TUN (vessel) + IS (remains) | |
| 29a | Handsome orderly (4) |
| TIDY — Double definition | |
| 30a | Simple life forms: some that sit or proceed backwards (8) |
| PROTISTA — Contained reversed in (some … backwards) thAT SIT OR Proceed | |
| 32a | How scrabbling after change is for character in phone box? (6,3) |
| DOCTOR WHO — An anagram of (… scrabbling) HOW after DOCTOR (change) | |
| 34a | Undemanding, see, show for cissies? (3-6) |
| LOW-IMPACT — LO (see) + WIMP ACT (show for cissies?) | |
| 35a | Stretch between last parts of theatre production, the interval (8) |
| ENTR’ACTE — TRACT (stretch) between the final letters (last parts) of theatrE productioN thE | |
| 36a | Problem making comeback with old player (4) |
| MUSO — SUM (problem) backwards (making comeback) + O (old) | |
| 39a | Rock, one stuck on front of swimming trunks (5) |
| TORSI — TOR (rock) + I (one) placed next to (stuck on) the first letter (front) of Swimming | |
| 40a | Mineral with a use, ’til metamorphosing (10) |
| ANDALUSITE — AND (with) + an anagram of (… metamorphosing) A USE ‘TIL | |
| 42a | Report of sandpiper on river, naturally! (3,3) |
| WHY NOT — Sounds like (report of) KNOT (sandpiper) on WYE (river) | |
| 44a | Lead surprisingly transformed volatile character in organic compound (8) |
| ALDEHYDE — LEAD anagrammed (surprisingly) + HYDE (transformed volatile character) | |
| 46a | Piper to manage small gallery in Florida or Oklahoma, say (9,5) |
| PANHANDLE STATE — A charade of PAN (piper), HANDLE (to manage), S (small) and TATE (gallery) | |
| 48a | Girl speaks about love where keepers sought? (10) |
| GOALMOUTHS — GAL (girl) and MOUTHS (speaks) around (about) O (love) | |
| 49a | For example, you are in this gym occupied by hate figures (7,5) |
| PRESENT TENSE — PE (gym) containing (occupied by) RESENT (hate) and TENS (figures) | |
| 53a | Sullen fellow with catapult faced by principal in college (5) |
| CHURL — HURL (catapult) headed with (faced by) the first letter of (principal in) College | |
| 54a | Narrow trousers beginning to chafe on boy with black belt, maybe stage performer (3,6) |
| TAP DANCER — TAPER (narrow) takes in (trousers) the first letter of (beginning to) Chafe on DAN (boy with black belt) | |
| 55a | Workable bringing wine into company (7) |
| PLASTIC — ASTI (wine) in PLC (company) | |
| 56a | Queen’s rocker, perhaps, loopy thing (4,6) |
| CATS CRADLE — A CAT’S CRADLE might be a rocking bed for a female cat (queen). The loopy thing defines (somewhat obliquely) the game played with string | |
| 57a | Chicken, less hot, to start smoking outside: cool it! (7,2) |
| LIGHTEN UP — Without H (… less hot), [h]EN (chicken), with LIGHT UP (to start smoking) outside | |
| Down | |
| 1d | Wolf down in valley (5) |
| GORGE — Double definition | |
| 2d | Old skyscraper where packer keeps things boxed, sometimes? (5,5) |
| SEARS TOWER — STOWER (packer) contains (keeps) EARS (things boxed, sometimes?) | |
| 3d | Return with scythe and fruit (8) |
| REAPPEAR — REAP (scythe) + PEAR (fruit) | |
| 4d | Game with pressure more satisfactory, might one say? (5) |
| POKER — P (pressure) + OK–ER (more satisfactory, might one say?) | |
| 5d | Fruity thing and naughty thing united in romantic event (4,5) |
| DATE NIGHT — DATE (fruity thing) and an anagram of (naughty) THING | |
| 6d | Sort of work ? that isn’t! (4) |
| PLAY — A play is a work … but play isn’t work! | |
| 7d | Passion relating to brilliant appearance (6) |
| LUSTRE — LUST (passion) + RE (relating to) | |
| 8d | Team fixing matches, nice try! (10,4) |
| MANCHESTER CITY — An anagram of (fixing) MATCHES, NICE TRY | |
| 9d | Sense of achievement is observed after day with party (12) |
| SATISFACTION — IS after SAT (day) + ACTION (party) | |
| 10d | Main dishes of a brasserie ultimately served up covered in soil (7) |
| SEAFOOD — Reversed (… served up) OF A brasseriE ultimately all covered in SOD (soil) | |
| 11d | A fight to finish off innings in boisterous play (10) |
| KNOCKABOUT — A BOUT (a fight) after (to finish off) KNOCK (innings) | |
| 15d | Film about battle in house ? there it is! (3,6) |
| HEY PRESTO — ET (film) around (about) YPRES (battle) in HO (house) | |
| 18d | Male relative has time, still (8) |
| STAGNANT — STAG (male) + NAN (relative) + T (time) | |
| 20d | Look hard to retain objective, being Welsh leader (9) |
| GLENDOWER — GLOWER (look hard) containing (to retain) END (objective) | |
| 21d | Clumsiness in patois oddly written into musical composition (10) |
| INEPTITUDE — IN + odd letters of (… oddly) PaToIs going into ETUDE (musical composition) | |
| 23d | Novelist Amis, say, in flier (4,6) |
| SAND MARTIN — SAND (novelist) + MARTIN (Amis, say) | |
| 27d | Gold coin freshly minted somewhere in Oceania (3,6) |
| NEW GUINEA — Literally, a NEW (freshly minted) GUINEA (gold coin) | |
| 28d | Basic food registered in basic hotel, say (5,3,6) |
| BREAD AND BUTTER — READ (registered) in B AND B (basic hotel) + UTTER (say) | |
| 31d | Drop what you’re carrying, huge amount (8) |
| SHEDLOAD — Drop – SHED – what you’re carrying – LOAD | |
| 33d | Northern Ireland deception covered up by London commoners, heading off complete chaos (12) |
| OMNISHAMBLES — NI (Northern Ireland) and SHAM (deception) covered up by wOMBLES (London commoners) without the first letter (heading off) | |
| 34d | Slow destruction of Earth and rising of smoke follows conclusion of all (9) |
| LETHARGIC — An anagram (destruction) of EARTH and the reversal (rising) of CIG (smoke) follows the last letter (conclusion) of alL | |
| 37d | Where shell may be found that’s novel? (2,3,5) |
| ON THE BEACH — Literally, where (a sea) shell may be found | |
| 38d | Ride on and straight out (5,5) |
| GHOST TRAIN — An anagram of (… out) ON and STRAIGHT | |
| 41d | Clear, ship turned round (9) |
| SPHERICAL — CLEAR, SHIP anagrammed (turned) | |
| 43d | Where pink might be seen in a couple of snooker shots? (5,3) |
| PLANT POT — POT and PLANT are both types of snooker shot. The pink is a flower | |
| 45d | Copper impressed by the lifting up of a fat claret drinker? (7) |
| DRACULA — CU (copper) inside (impressed by) the reversal (lifting up) of A and LARD (fat) | |
| 47d | Cast I see standing in shot (6) |
| SHAPED — AH (I see) upwards in (standing in) SPED (shot) | |
| 50d | Buck having pulled out gun, finally ? shoot! (5) |
| SPRIG — SPRI[n]G (buck) having removed (pulled out) guN, finally | |
| 51d | Court verdict — going down then? (3,2) |
| NOT UP — Definition (a tennis one – a call when the ball has bounced twice before being hit) plus literal interpretation | |
| 52d | Residing in Poland, an Eastern European (4) |
| DANE — The answer is residing in PolanD, AN Eastern | |
Tough, and not particularly enjoyable, with lots of DNKs: MUSO, ANDALUSITE, KNOCKABOUT, GOALMOUTHS, PLANT, NOT UP, OMNISHAMBLES (LOI). I didn’t know a knot was a kind of sandpiper. As in the last few Jumbos, lots of ugly surfaces: Copper impressed by the lifting up of fat claret drinker (45ac), say, or Scale mountain finally, a ridge etc formed round it (25ac).
I tend to agree with Kevin’s comments although I had some different unknowns such as PALIMPSEST. Considering I wrote ‘bloody hard work’ on my copy I was left with remarkably few queries when I eventually filled the grid.
A note on OMNISHAMBLES (which also turned up in yesterday’s Guardian puzzle). It was invented by the writers of the TV political sitcom The Thick Of It to describe complete chaos in the fictional government as everything on every political front went wrong at the same time. Shortly afterwards it found its way into one or more of the standard English dictionaries as ‘Word of the Year’. That was some time 2005-12, more innocent times, as it doesn’t even begin to describe subsequent events in government, not just in the UK but pretty much worldwide. Some things are now beyond satire!
Quite something, to invent a completely new word, and an increasingly useful one at that ..
Quite tricky, this. I had the most trouble in the NW corner. KIT CARSON and ANDALUSITE only very vaguely familiar, NHO PROTISTA or NOT UP.
33d (OMNISHAMBLES) is a clue for the ages. A perfect fusion of cryptic fodder and contemporary political allusion, hopefully now in the past with yesterday’s restoration of Stormont.
Wondering if the ? in the heading is meant to be there or not, Kitty? Is it a typo, or a sardonic comment on 6 and 15dn?!
It was my response to the ?s in 6 and 15d, Jerry, but wasn’t intended to be sardonic. I think I’ll remove it. I expect they were meant to be dashes, and technical hitches aren’t the setter’s fault.
I too found this a little on the tricky side, but with some great clues. I liked the “character in phonebox”, “one taking delivery of cherries”, the “court verdict” and the “(fat) claret drinker” in particular. Thanks Kitty and setter.
in my print edition 6d and 15d did indeed have dashes not question marks
Many thanks for that information, eemcee2 – good to know.