Hi everyone. Despite the title of this blog (inspired by 58a) this was not a picnic for me. I recorded a total time of 75 minutes, although a large chunk of that was on the train, not the best puzzling environment. A non-finish anyway, as I had a couple of vowels transposed in 44a.
It was quite a tricky one to blog too, especially as I try as much as possible to retain the structure of the clue in my explanations. I also got a bit tired of typing “definition plus literal interpretation” – and now I have just gone and typed it again, voluntarily!
I didn’t make any notes about enjoyment when I solved, so in the absence of evidence to the contrary I will assume I enjoyed it. 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 | Make quite clear what to do at end of holiday? (5,4) |
| DRIVE HOME — Two indications: a definition plus a literal interpretation of the answer | |
| 6a | Vegetables, with lots of people in line for them, we hear; mind them? (2,3,2) |
| PS AND QS — PEAS (vegetables) AND (with) QUEUES (lots of people in line); soundalike (we hear) | |
| 10a | Radiant with Russian girl returning (5) |
| AGLOW — W (with) and OLGA (Russian girl) going backwards (returning) | |
| 13a | Cold, simple chemical substance losing one electron at first becomes mild (7) |
| CLEMENT — C (cold) + [e]LEMENT (simple chemical substance) losing an E, specifically the first one (one Electron at first) | |
| 14a | Cries aloud for the country (5) |
| WALES — WAILS (cries) as heard (aloud) | |
| 15a | Put name into small newspaper article, curving along the edges (9) |
| SCALLOPED — Insert (put) CALL (name) into S (small) and OP–ED (newspaper article) | |
| 16a | Lifelong description of how “rock-a-bye-baby” fell to its death? (4,3,6,2,3,5) |
| FROM THE CRADLE TO THE GRAVE — Definition plus literal interpretation, referencing the song Rock-a-bye Baby | |
| 17a | Singular taxi-driver making a crust (6) |
| SCABBY — S (singular) + CABBY (taxi-driver) | |
| 18a | This is me at college, before being covered in flour etc (8) |
| MEUNIÈRE — The answer is ME + UNI (college) + ERE (before) | |
| 19a | Reminder to collect protective gear held up (7) |
| PROPPED — PROD (reminder) containing (to collect) PPE (protective gear) | |
| 22a | Figure Noah went swimming? Seems reasonable (4,6) |
| FAIR ENOUGH — FIGURE NOAH anagrammed (went swimming) | |
| 23a | Almost attractive at first not before time (6,6) |
| PRETTY NEARLY — PRETTY (attractive) + at first Not + EARLY (before time) | |
| 27a | Like to hear detective who lived in Mexico (5) |
| AZTEC — AZ sounds like (… to hear) AS (like) + TEC (detective) | |
| 29a | Recipe for astringent to be put on back (7) |
| FORMULA — FOR with ALUM (astringent) added (to be put on) in reverse (back) | |
| 30a | Great desire of Yankee as a salaryman? (8) |
| YEARNING — Y (Yankee) + EARNING (as a salaryman?) | |
| 32a | O my! — missing from holy book is the nucleus (8) |
| DEUTERON — O MY is missing from DEUTERON[omy] (holy book). An isotope of hydrogen; the nucleus of deuterium (heavy hydrogen) | |
| 34a | Overdo it regularly with friend of a parricide (7) |
| OEDIPAL — OvErDo It regularly with PAL (friend) | |
| 36a | Loves meeting in the street? Go ahead (5) |
| TRYST — ST (street) with TRY (go) first (ahead) | |
| 39a | Create storm to find necessary cash (5,3,4) |
| RAISE THE WIND — Two indications. The first is another literal interpretation of the answer, the second an idiom I’m not familiar with | |
| 41a | Tiny policeman is ineffective (3,4,3) |
| NOT MUCH COP — NOT MUCH (tiny) COP (policeman). | |
| I’ve just discovered It’s a Fair Cop on BBC R4, and the episodes I’ve listened to so far have been excellent | |
| 44a | Loiters uncertainly in luxury resort (7) |
| ESTORIL — LOITERS anagrammed (uncertainly) | |
| 46a | Quietly leaves with order to remove underwear? (5,3) |
| SLIPS OFF — Another definition plus literal interpretation | |
| 48a | Hostility as I am surrounded by a group of students (6) |
| ANIMUS — I’M (I am) surrounded by A and NUS (group of students) | |
| 50a | Hate run-of-the-mill BBC type messing up patriotic song (6,4,2,3,8) |
| BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC — HATE RUN-OF-THE-MILL BBC TYPE anagrammed (messing up) | |
| 53a | Universal train and air travel in the country one imagined (9) |
| RURITANIA — An anagram of (… travel) U (universal) TRAIN and AIR | |
| 54a | A minor honour (5) |
| AWARD — A + WARD (minor) | |
| 55a | Cooking us one nice stew (7) |
| CUISINE — An anagram (stew) of US I (one) NICE | |
| 56a | Parking vehicle first, go for long walk (5) |
| TRAMP — P (parking),with TRAM (vehicle) first | |
| 57a | In nervous state, throw coconut perhaps at head (7) |
| SHYNESS — SHY (throw coconut perhaps) + NESS (head) | |
| 58a | Considered odd, having been eaten by a bear? (9) |
| RUMINATED — RUM (odd) + IN A TED (having been eaten by a bear?) | |
| Down | |
| 1d | Unaware about cold drink (5) |
| DECAF — DEAF (unaware) around (about) C (cold) | |
| 2d | I can’t stand up straight to deliver patter song (3,3,1,6,4) |
| IVE GOT A LITTLE LIST — Another straight reading of the answer plus a definition: the “little list” song from The Mikado | |
| 3d | Delightful daughter missing: with prospect of being returned? (9) |
| ELECTABLE — [d]ELECTABLE (delightful) with D (daughter) missing | |
| 4d | Beginning two terms of tennis (6) |
| OUTSET — Two tennis terms, or terms of tennis, are OUT and SET | |
| 5d | Degas perhaps broken by conflict with key enigmatic man (6,5) |
| EDWARD ELGAR — EDGAR (Degas perhaps) interrupted by (broken by) WAR (conflict) and DEL (key) | |
| 6d | Knights taking great care to protect youngster (8) |
| PALADINS — [taking] PAINS (great care) surrounding (to protect) LAD (youngster) | |
| 7d | A part of Ireland, removing large English grave (7) |
| AUSTERE — A + U[l]STER (part of Ireland) removing L (large) + E (English) | |
| 8d | Not truly attractive, one way the dawning of love must break in (11) |
| DISHONESTLY — DISHY (attractive) into which ONE, ST (way) and the first letter of (dawning of) Love is inserted (must break in) | |
| 9d | Reckless with the cosmetics? (4-5) |
| SLAP-HAPPY — An alternative literal interpretation of the answer with a precise definition embedded | |
| 10d | Without leader, orchestra try to keep right tempo (7) |
| ALLEGRO — Missing the first letter (without leader), [h]ALLÉ (orchestra) + GO (try) containing (to keep) R (right) | |
| 11d | Slept again, concealing some small old coins (5) |
| LEPTA — sLEPT Again concealing the answer | |
| 12d | Regular occasions when being married, say, ends in confusion (10) |
| WEDNESDAYS — WED (married) + an anagram of (… in confusion) SAY, ENDS | |
| 17d | Capital assembled in very short order (5) |
| SOFIA — SO (very) + short FIAt (order) | |
| 20d | Importantly, no cops interfered with this publication (8,9) |
| PORTNOY’S COMPLAINT — IMPORTANTLY, NO COPS anagrammed (interfered with). A 1969 novel by Philip Roth. This rang a faint bell but took a lot of letter shuffling to uncover! | |
| 21d | Chest: one heard having trouble with it? (6) |
| COFFER — Sounds like (heard) COUGHER (one having trouble with [chest]) | |
| 24d | Country golf club welcoming wife (6) |
| RWANDA — R AND A (R&A: golf club) taking in (welcoming) W (wife) | |
| 25d | Formerly holding name Max? (5) |
| ERNST — ERST (formerly) holding N (name) | |
| 26d | Illegally induce son, delivered by hairpin? (6) |
| SUBORN — S (son) + BORN (delivered) by U (hairpin? – bend) | |
| 28d | Smart person wiping chlorine from part of fingernail (5) |
| CUTIE — We are removing (wiping) CL (chlorine) from CUTI[cl]E (part of fingernail) | |
| 31d | A fine fabric, very red (6) |
| AFLAME — A + F (fine) + LAMÉ (fabric) | |
| 33d | Briefing about problem, my answer’s complicated (4,7) |
| NEWS SUMMARY — Around (about) SUM (problem), MY ANSWER is anagrammed (complicated) | |
| 35d | Galley slave toiling through passages in literal pursuit? (11) |
| PROOFREADER — Cryptic definition | |
| 37d | Signal for bed, when eating a series of snacks (5) |
| TAPAS — TAPS (signal for bed) around (eating) A | |
| 38d | Commando in protected area out of line calling in engineers (5,5) |
| GREEN BERET — GREEN BE[l]T (protected area) missing (out of) L (line) taking in (calling in) RE (engineers) | |
| 40d | Hospital people who are experienced get together affectionately (4,5) |
| HOLD HANDS — H (hospital) + OLD HANDS (people who are experienced) | |
| 42d | Very old Roman soldier? (9) |
| CENTURION — Cryptic / double definition | |
| 43d | A missing pet’s hard to catch, having fouled dishes (8) |
| ASHTRAYS — A + STRAY’S (missing pet’s) taking in (… to catch) H (hard) | |
| 45d | Sort of desk surface: light lunch on it? (4-3) |
| ROLL-TOP — TOP (surface) with ROLL (light lunch…?) on it | |
| 47d | Take apart one section of roof: nothing in it (7) |
| ISOLATE — I (one) + SLATE (section of roof) with O (nothing) in it | |
| 49d | Trap eccentric viewer (6) |
| WEBCAM — WEB (trap) + CAM (eccentric) | |
| 51d | Time on boat for rescuing a creature in river (5) |
| TARKA — T (time) + ARK (boat for rescuing) + A | |
| 52d | One might believe this Indian died (5) |
| CREED — CREE (Indian) + D (died) | |
DNK DEUTERON. DNK RAISE THE WIND, which isn’t in ODE (but is in my English-Japanese dictionary, which marks it as ‘dated’). 50ac is an impressive anagram; but I was able to biff it from the B and L.
Very Woosterish, raise the wind .. Raffles, even.
I had this noted as ‘quite easy’ but for all that I had an error, at least according to the published answer – how about PENCAM as an alternative answer at 49dn based on pen / enclose / trap?
I needed aids for 32ac although I might have got it from ‘Deuteronomy’ if I’d tried a bit harder.
Thanks for the blog, Kitty. I was reminded last Saturday that writing a Jumbo blog can sometimes be harder than the puzzle itself.
Thanks Jackkt. Yes, the Jumbo is my least favourite blogging gig, especially with my habit of leaving blogs until the last minute. This is semi-deliberate, as if I allow longer it tends to take longer – and with a Jumbo it seems to take forever in the first place!
I would certainly give PENCAM the green light. I doubt many people would think of it before WEBCAM but at least one person (you) did.
Why ‘order’ in 46a? It adds nothing to the clue that I can see.
I had COFFIN instead of COFFER in 21d. It nearly works …
Didn’t like TED=’bear’ in 58a. Teddy yes, Ted no.
‘Order’ implies the answer is an instruction, ‘Slips off!’, not likely ever to be given, but ‘Hats off!’ is a more plausible example that demonstrates the construction.
Hi Kitty, thanks for the blog. Hardish, I thought.
A small thing: at 5dn, the key is DEL.
Thanks Branch. Not sure where the EL went, but appreciate you taking the trouble to point it out so I can correct the error, which I’ll do now.
A very American military puzzle.