Some of this was very straightforward but there was tricky stuff along the way with several words and references completely unknown to me, most notably a Wagner opera and a Hungarian composer, yet I consider myself something of an expert on the subject of ‘classical’ music. But the wordplay was fair and only one answer – the Greek dish – actually eluded me.
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]. “Aural wordplay” is in quotation marks. I usually omit all reference to juxtaposition indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
 Across |
|
| 1 | Criticise Dame blocking demands for way to identify comedian? (3,3,5) |
| CAP AND BELLS | |
| PAN (criticise) + DBE (Dame of the British Empire) contained by [blocking] CALLS (demands). The traditional garb of a court jester. I knew the look but not that there was a particular name for it. | |
| 7 | Divide part that’s got dry on the inside (6) |
| BISECT | |
| SEC (dry) contained by [inside] BIT (part) | |
| 10 | Abandon some surgery led by doctor (4) |
| DROP | |
| DR (doctor), OP (some surgery) | |
| 14 | German article on learner in school, not the brightest one? (7) |
| PLODDER | |
| L (learner) contained by [in] POD (school), DER (German article – the) | |
| 15 | Flowering plant Paul replanted around border (7) |
| PRIMULA | |
| Anagram [replanted] of PAUL containing [around] RIM (border). I knew it as a cream cheese before I met the flower. | |
| 16 | Bitter passion involving Bishop recalled in account (7) |
| ACERBIC | |
| IRE (passion) reversed [recalled] containing [involving] B (bishop), all contained by [in] ACC (account). I didn’t know ‘account / ACC’ until the double-C appeared quite recently in another puzzle. | |
| 17 | Impoverished adherent unfortunately inconsolable (6-7) |
| BROKEN-HEARTED | |
| BROKE (impoverished), anagram [unfortunately] of ADHERENT | |
| 18 | Perceived welcoming old woman back as an imposition on staff (5,4) |
| TENOR CLEF | |
| FELT (perceived) containing [welcoming] CRONE (old woman), all reversed [back]. ‘Staff’ (or ‘stave’) being the set of lines on which music is notated. | |
| 19 | That man about to get taken aback for a time (5) |
| EPOCH | |
| HE (that man) containing [about] COP (get) all reversed [taken aback] | |
| 21 | He or I perhaps will lead a railway — that’s obvious (10) |
| ELEMENTARY | |
| ELEMENT (He or I – Helium or Iodine – perhaps), A, RY (railway) | |
| 23 | Crazy mother backing murderer (6) |
| MANIAC | |
| MA (mother), then CAIN (murderer) reversed [backing]. In the Bible, Cain slew his brother Abel. Both ‘crazy’ and ‘maniac’ can be nouns or adjectives. | |
| 25 | Head of monastery, settlement not given initial precedence (8) |
| PRIORITY | |
| PRIOR (head of monastery), {c}ITY (settlement) [not given initial] | |
| 26 | “PROHIBITIONIST CHAP WITH COMMERCIAL POLICY”? (6,8) |
| BANNER HEADLINE | |
| BANNER (prohibitionist), HE (chap), AD (commercial), LINE (policy). The use of upper case makes this the ultimate definition by example! | |
| 29 | Depressing experience? Try another way (4-3) |
| TURN-OFF | |
| Almost two meanings but the second would not take a hyphen | |
| 30 | One chronicling chap’s century, suppressing regressive attitude (9) |
| HISTORIAN | |
| HIS (chap’s), TON (century) containing [suppressing] AIR (attitude) reversed [regressive] | |
| 31 | Very good joke recalled: something worth displaying? (3-2) |
| PIN-UP | |
| PI (very good – pious), then PUN (joke) reversed [recalled] | |
| 32 | Clumsy person near to where MPs vote (5) |
| LOBBY | |
| LOB (clumsy person – didn’t know this), BY (near to). More specifically the ‘division lobby’. | |
| 34 | Bachelor, one in post with English sweetheart (9) |
| COLUMBINE | |
| B (bachelor) + I (one) contained by [in] COLUMN (post), E (English). Traditionally the name of Harlequin’s sweetheart in English pantomime. | |
| 37 | American writer’s sense of smell repulsed, taking in sea at Calais (7) |
| EMERSON | |
| NOSE (sense of smell) reversed [repulsed] containing [taking in] MER (sea at Calais). Presumably Ralph Waldo of that name. | |
| 39 | Broadcast left disharmony, dismissing writer’s latest lightweight stories (7,7) |
| AIRPORT FICTION | |
| AIR (broadcast), PORT (left), F{r}ICTION (disharmony) [dismissing writer’s latest] | |
| 41 | Government: source of some anger on the golf-course? (8) |
| STEERAGE | |
| S{ome} [source of…], TEE–RAGE (anger on the golf-course?). SOED: steerage – the direction or government of affairs, the state, one’s life, etc. | |
| 43 | Redirection of fishing gear starts to catch hundreds — smelt, is it? (6) |
| STENCH | |
| NETS (fishing gear) reversed [redirection of…], C{atch} + H{undreds} [starts to…]. Is a stench smelt? Indeed, if one is in the vicinity. | |
| 44 | Unexpected fish, a lone catch at sea (10) |
| COELACANTH | |
| Anagram [at sea] of A LONE CATCH. ‘Unexpected’ because until 1938 it was though to be extinct. One descendent of the species survives but is rare. | |
| 45 | Content of quite a challenging lecture (5) |
| TEACH | |
| Hidden in [content of] {qui}TE A CH{allenging} | |
| 48 | One not going out after retirement (9) |
| INSOMNIAC | |
| A cryptic chestnut | |
| 49 | Crows: “Bequests published! You can’t escape the truth!” (6,4,3) |
| MURDER WILL OUT | |
| MURDER (crows – the collective noun), WILL (bequests), OUT (published). More about this here. I think it’s commonly adapted to ‘the truth will out’. | |
| 51 | Slightly crazy orbit, perhaps incomplete? Mine wasn’t (7) |
| GAGARIN | |
| GAGA (slightly crazy), RIN{g} (orbit, perhaps) [incomplete]. With reference to the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin. He successfully completed one orbit of the Earth. | |
| 52 | Official weather forecast possibly a burden (7) |
| REFRAIN | |
| REF (official), RAIN (weather forecast possibly). ‘Burden’ is an early word for the refrain of a song. | |
| 53 | Rugby people may be mostly moving single set of rugby posts? (7) |
| ENGLISH | |
| Anagram [moving] of SINGLE, then H (set of rugby posts). As a town in England I suppose it’s fair to assume that most people living in Rugby would be English. | |
| 54 | Techie recalled study involving basic element of education? (4) |
| NERD | |
| DEN (study) reversed [recalled] containing [involving] R (basic element of education – one of ‘the three Rs’) | |
| 55 | Line I understand, provided by one modern composer (6) |
| LIGETI | |
| L (line), I GET (I understand), I (one). ‘Provided’ seems unnecessary here. NHO this guy and having just sampled some of his work on YT I shall not be seeking out any more of it. | |
| 56 | Require large European vessel to show embroidery (11) |
| NEEDLECRAFT | |
| NEED (require), L (large), E (European), CRAFT (vessel) | |
| Down |
|
| 1 | Efficient secretary blocking message (7) |
| CAPABLE | |
| PA (secretary) contained by [blocking] CABLE (message) | |
| 2 | Furious policeman receiving nothing in support — one’s a source of repeated documents (11) |
| PHOTOCOPIER | |
| HOT (furious) + COP (policeman) containing [receiving] 0 (nothing), all contained by [in] PIER (support) | |
| 3 | Prompt, say, with plague on the rise (5) |
| NUDGE | |
| EG (say) + DUN (plague) reversed [on the rise]. SOED has the required meaning of dun – Make repeated and persistent demands upon, esp. for money owed; pester, plague, assail constantly. | |
| 4 | Delivery documentation variously bathetic and terrific (5,11) |
| BIRTH CERTIFICATE | |
| Anagram [variously] of BATHETIC TERRIFIC | |
| 5 | Sprang around most of field, like many rabbits? (3-5) |
| LOP-EARED | |
| LOPED (sprang) containing [around] ARE{a} (field) [most of…] | |
| 6 | Be prepared for a row or this phase goes awry (4,3,4) |
| SHIP THE OARS | |
| Anagram [goes awry] of OR THIS PHASE. NHO this, nor has Collins, but an online source advises that ‘shipping the oars’ means to place the oars in their “rowlocks” or “oarlocks” in order to get them ready for rowing. |
|
| 7 | Secured maximum value from statistics? (5) |
| BOUND | |
| Two meanings. NHO the second, but research reveals that the ‘bound’ can be the maximum or minimum value in a set of statistics. I assume that accounts for the question mark in the clue. | |
| 8 | Frivolous, dissipated, welcoming British drizzle (14) |
| SCATTERBRAINED | |
| SCATTERED (dissipated) containing [welcoming] B (British) + RAIN (drizzle) | |
| 9 | Careful to limit river breach, albeit minor (6) |
| CRANNY | |
| CANNY (careful) containing [to limit] R (river) | |
| 11 | Indecently humorous as BA airline flounders (11) |
| RABELAISIAN | |
| Anagram [flounders] of AS BA AIRLINE | |
| 12 | Literary genre initially lacking in motion, mostly calm (7) |
| PACIFIC | |
| {s}CI-FI (literary genre) [initially lacking] contained by [in] PAC{e} (motion) [mostly] | |
| 13 | Not at the front, a runner’s last to secure prize? On the contrary (8) |
| REARWARD | |
| A + {runne}R [’s last] contained by [to secure – on the contrary] REWARD (prize) | |
| 20 | Damage unknown following on agreement (7) |
| HARMONY | |
| HARM (damage), ON, Y (unknown) | |
| 22 | Dance round after smack (5) |
| TANGO | |
| TANG (smack – taste), O (round) | |
| 24 | Check opening article with list and come up with nothing new (8,3,5) |
| REINVENT THE WHEEL | |
| REIN (check), VENT (opening), THE (article), W (with), HEEL (list – lean) | |
| 25 | A bowman piercing old man in part of leg (7) |
| PATELLA | |
| A + TELL (bowman) contained by [piercing] PA (old man). The Swiss folk hero, William Tell. His bow would have been a crossbow. | |
| 27 | European moving into region without a cost (7) |
| EXPENSE | |
| EXP{a}NSE (region) [without a] becomes EXPENSE (cost) when E (European) moves in | |
| 28 | Prominent figure with concern about end of luncheon after cold dish (6,3,5) |
| CHILLI CON CARNE | |
| CHILL (cold), ICON (prominent figure), CARE (concern) containing [about] {luncheo}N [end of…] | |
| 31 | Strasbourg’s ready with external, dubious rationale (7) |
| PRETEXT | |
| PRET (Strasbourg’s ready – French for ‘ready’), EXT (external) | |
| 33 | Quantity of chocolate surely transformed with a good piece of confectionery (6,5) |
| BARLEY SUGAR | |
| BAR (quantity of chocolate), anagram [transformed] of SURELY A G (good) | |
| 35 | Small amount left in accommodation (5) |
| MOTEL | |
| MOTE (small amount), L (left). There is a saying in the Bible about beams and motes, the beam being something very large and the mote being very small. | |
| 36 | Barrier to communication worried court in Iran (4,7) |
| IRON CURTAIN | |
| Anagram [worried] of COURT IN IRAN | |
| 38 | Greek food spread on a knockout type of bread (11) |
| SPANAKOPITA | |
| SPAN (spread), A, KO (knockout), PITA (type of bread). This one defeated me and I resorted to aids. NHO it. I had considered PITA as ‘type of bread’ but have only seen it spelt PITTA. | |
| 40 | Filmed willing American entering borders of Canada (2,6) |
| ON CAMERA | |
| ON (willing), AMER (American) contained by [entering) C{anad}A [borders of…]. One can be ‘on for / up for’ something meaning willing to do it, but I’m not sure that ‘on’ is sufficient on its own. | |
| 42 | Stake reputation ultimately on no Scottish radio equipment (8) |
| ANTENNAE | |
| ANTE (stake – bet), {reputatio}N [ultimately], NAE (‘no’ Scottish) | |
| 43 | A bit sozzled to start with, partway through drink (7) |
| SMIDGIN | |
| S{ozzled} [to start with], MID (partway through), GIN (drink) | |
| 46 | Maestro’s laughter interrupted by start of tense silence (7) |
| HOTSHOT | |
| HOOT (laughter) contains [interrupted by] T{ense} [start of…] + SH (silence!) | |
| 47 | Wagner opera: nothing to a Frenchman and almost nothing to an American (6) |
| RIENZI | |
| RIEN (nothing to a Frenchman), ZI{p} (nothing to an American) [almost]. NHO this. | |
| 49 | I will follow Manchester United football team initially in civilian gear (5) |
| MUFTI | |
| M{anchester} + U{nited} + F{ootball} + T{eam} [initially], then I | |
| 50 | Sense dull person’s in charge (5) |
| LOGIC | |
| LOG (dull person), IC (in charge). I haven’t found an exact match for ‘dull person’, but Collins has: log – Australian slang – a lazy, unintelligent person; fool. | |
DNF
Never got SMIDGIN. I got CAP AND BELLS (I have them, for that matter), but couldn’t for the life of me see how it worked. NHO SPANAKOPITA (LOI). NHO LIGETI, and will take Jack’s word for the music. A MER at NERD for ‘techie’. I was surprised that Jack didn’t know RIENZI; I’ve never heard the opera, but the overture is something of a musical chestnut on NHK-FM.
I wondered if I might know the overture when I heard it so checked it out on You Tube but despite having excellent aural recall the piece rang no bells.
The performance I found by a German music school orchestra is absolutely first rate.
This makes the second time I’ve referred to a musical piece as a chestnut only to find that you (and Vinyl) hadn’t heard of it–something Spanishy by a non-Spaniard. It seems that NHK has its own chestnuts.. (There was a long period where they played Brahms’s Symphony no. 1 monthly, or so it seemed; followed by a longer period where they played ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ every time I turned on the radio.)
And do try Ligeti’s piano Etudes – remarkable and fascinating music! Good Jumbo this, though with a few obscurities needing a mixture of research and luck!
I found this tricky and needed help with SPANAKOPITA and had to confirm another couple, but slugged my way through in a tad under 70 minutes. Thanks setter and Jack.