Hello again. This Jumbo I thought was about average difficulty, a tidy and workmanlike effort. No issues or complaints really from me, which is good work if you are setting a jumbo with 60+ clues. What did you think?
Please, do feel free to ask questions or comment as required.
I use the standard conventions like underlining the definition, CD for cryptic definition, DD for a double one, *(anargam) and so forth. Nho = “not heard of” and in case of need the Glossary is always handy
| Across | |
| 1 | Old key needed for lift (5) |
| EXALT – EX (old) + ALT (key) | |
| 4 | Dinghy hard to move out of the water (4,3,3) |
| HIGH AND DRY – *(DINGHY HARD) | |
| 9 | Position hesitant sounds around silence (4,2) |
| SHUT UP – PUT (position) + UHS (hesitant sounds, I suppose, though I would do um or er instead) all reversed | |
| 14 | Performers in Gigi principally had to dress down (9) |
| CASTIGATE – CAST (performers) + I(n) + G(igi) + ATE (had) | |
| 15 | Glut of extra cake put in a skip? (13) |
| OVERABUNDANCE – OVER (extra) + BUN (ake) inside A DANCE (a skip, unless I’m doing it) | |
| 16 | Have groups of associates succeeded? (7) |
| POSSESS – POSSES (groups of associates) + S(ucceeded) | |
| 17 | Plant beginning thoroughly to overwhelm far side of swamp (9) |
| SPEEDWELL – (swam)P in SEED WELL, to begin thoroughly. At least, I think that is what it is .. | |
| 18 | Clear hole-like shape alongside green (5) |
| OVERT – O (a hole-like shape) + VERT, green. Vert is a heraldic term for green .. | |
| 19 | Frustration caused by senior cop’s job (14) |
| DISAPPOINTMENT – DI’S APPOINTMENT. Is a detective inspector a senior cop? Fairly so, I suppose. Junior to Morse, but senior to Lewis. | |
| 22 | Dairy alternative in fancy mocktail with no cherry to start with (3,4) |
| OAT MILK – *(MO(c)KTAIL). Can’t stand the stuff. | |
| 25 | Older relative finally gifted small child a pound — that’s the lot! (5,5) |
| GRAND TOTAL – GRAN (older relative) + (gifte)D + TOT (small child) + A L. | |
| 27 | Withdraw to attend a yoga getaway, maybe (4,1,7) |
| BEAT A RETREAT – attend a yoga getaway, ie BE AT A RETREAT… | |
| 30 | Nothing pleasant is held in reserve (2,3) |
| ON ICE – O (nothing) + NICE (pleasant) | |
| 31 | One-time London lawyer’s heading off to become model (8) |
| EXEMPLAR – EX (t)EMPLAR, a Templar can be a knight, or a graduate of the Inner or Middle Temple. | |
| 32 | A promotional packet largely used for winter social activities? (5-3) |
| APRES-SKI – A PRESS KI(t) (promotional packet, largely). Apres ski, always my best winter sport activity.. | |
| 35 | In retrospect, part of explicit song actually is without conviction (8) |
| AGNOSTIC – reverse hidden, as above | |
| 36 | A new, revolutionary discipline lacking current development (8) |
| NASCENCE – A N(ew) rev., + SC(i)ENCE , a discipline lacking i, the conventional symbol for electric current. | |
| 37 | Fragile material hit with middle of bat (5) |
| CHINA – CHIN (hit) + (b)A(t). | |
| 39 | Grace regularly seen in fantastically surefooted, outstanding performances (5,2,5) |
| TOURS DE FORCE – (g)R(a)C(e), in *(SUREFOOTED) | |
| 41 | Restraint attached to sheep’s in terrible condition (10) |
| RAMSHACKLE – RAM (sheep) + SHACKLE (restraint) | |
| 43 | Some baseball players look for no backing (7) |
| YANKEES – SEEK (look for) + NAY (no), both rev. A New York baseball team, so I hear | |
| 45 | Digital artwork? (6,8) |
| FINGER PAINTING – A cd: art using ones fingers | |
| 48 | Bound, we’re told, to be celebrated (5) |
| FETED – sounds like “fated,” to be bound | |
| 49 | At first, Oliver uses a hot, frenetic place with ovens (4,5) |
| OAST HOUSE – O(liver) + *(USES A HOT). Plenty of oasthouses near me, here in Kent. Even one or two still working.. | |
| 51 | Witness, seriously cut, bearing pained expression (7) |
| VOUCHER – OUCH (pained expression) in VER(y), seriously, cut. A strange definition, voucher, someone who vouches/witnesses. | |
| 53 | Intend hospital department to receive constant, mostly firm support (13) |
| ACCOMPANIMENT – C (constant) + COMPAN(y) ( a firm, mostly) inside AIM (intend), + ENT (hospital department). Is an accompaniment a support? I was thinking more of a bowl of chips or something. | |
| 54 | Offshore territory briefly identified by limitless biome? (4,2,3) |
| ISLE OF MAN – so, a limitless biome would be (b)IOM(e) … the Isle of Man. | |
| 55 | Emend socialist piece of legislation? (6) |
| REDACT – a RED ACT would be socialist legislation, if red = socialist. | |
| 56 | A Parisian concert venue was in debt and not venerated (10) |
| UNHALLOWED – UN (French for “A”) + + HALL (concert venue) + OWED (was in debt) | |
| 57 | Warm beverage that you initially infused with rum (5) |
| TODDY – ODD (rum) in T(hat) Y(ou). Not a drink I approve of. Waste of a good spirit.. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Jailbreak exploit not given publicity? (6) |
| ESCAPE – ESCAP(ad)E, an exploit less the ADvertisement.. | |
| 2 | Two idiots initiating one state shooting, perhaps (13) |
| ASSASSINATION – ASS + ASS (two idiots) + I + NATION, one state. | |
| 3 | Rubbish drug experience on ecstasy (5) |
| TRIPE – TRIP (drug experience) + E, your drug | |
| 4 | Warning given by one managing with drink (5-2) |
| HEADS-UP – HEAD (one managing) + SUP, to drink. | |
| 5 | Wacky ideas must get valued roughly (12) |
| GUESSTIMATED – *(IDEAS MUST GET) | |
| 6 | A greater, extravagant, upstanding lover (8) |
| AMORETTO – A MORE, + OTT (extravagant) rev., a lover. Of sorts, anyhow, an amoretto is a little cupid or putto. | |
| 7 | Parent filled with concerning, foreboding feeling (5) |
| DREAD – RE (concerning) in DAD, a parent. A QC escapee. | |
| 8 | Property of extremely restorative brew, say (4,6) |
| REAL ESTATE – R(estorativ)E + ALE (a brew) + STATE, say. | |
| 10 | Great uncertainty expressed for where a villain may be? (7) |
| HIDEOUT – Sounds like “HIGH DOUBT,” great uncertainty | |
| 11 | Fork prong gathers up passion fruit (9) |
| TANGERINE – ANGER (passion) in TINE, a fork prong | |
| 12 | Gather defendant’s statement ahead of time (5) |
| PLEAT – PLEA (not guilty, me lud) + T(ime) | |
| 13 | Defensive tactic of busy journalists covering The Old Bailey? (4-5,5) |
| FULL-COURT PRESS – COURT (eg the old Bailey) in FULL (busy) + PRESS (journalists). As in a full/busy life, perhaps. The defensive tactic comes from basketball, I discover. Did not know that, but it didn’t really matter. | |
| 20 | Deals with the kids in the end, after a day shift? (9) |
| ADDRESSES – A + D(ay) + DRESS (shift) + (th)E (kid)S | |
| 21 | Style and pizazz seen outside eg church (8) |
| ELEGANCE – EG in ELAN (pizazz), + CE (church) | |
| 23 | Sound of cat rouses birds (10) |
| KITTIWAKES – sounds like “Kitty wakes,” as well it might since it is only one letter different.. | |
| 24 | Showing a lack of knowledge, but also not angrily getting upset (10) |
| IGNORANTLY – *(NOT ANGRILY) | |
| 26 | Working with online media’s awfully superficial (3-11) |
| ONE-DIMENSIONAL – ON (working) + *(ONLINE MEDIAS) | |
| 28 | Biting insect at the bottom of deep hole (9) |
| TRENCHANT – TRENCH (deep hole) + ANT (insect). Why deep I don’t know, as holes go, trenches are often quite shallow, aren’t they? | |
| 29 | At one point, I ask you inside to examine painting equipment (5,3) |
| SPRAY CAN – PRAY (I ask you) in SCAN (to examine). The “at one point” is intended to allow for the fact that we don’t say that very often these days. A 33dn might, perhaps .. | |
| 33 | Old-fashioned person strangely thinks I’m cute and prudent at heart (5-2-3-3) |
| STICK-IN-THE-MUD – *(THINKS IM CUTE) +(pru)D(ent) | |
| 34 | VIP was keen re new special screening (5,7) |
| SNEAK PREVIEW – *(VIP WAS KEEN RE) | |
| 38 | Replace start of session with short online forum? That’s a revelation! (10) |
| CONFESSION – SESSION, with the initial S replaced by CONF, which to my slight surprise is in Collins as an online forum.. | |
| 40 | Continued circulating without being spotted (9) |
| UNNOTICED – *(CONTINUED). What a neat anagram! Not seen it before, so it has to be my COD. | |
| 42 | Subject of ridicule taken in by sincere comeback (8) |
| REBUTTAL – BUTT (subject of ridicule) in REAL, sincere. | |
| 44 | Enclosed around half of a local area (7) |
| ENDEMIC – DEMI (half) in ENC(losed). Endemic, as opposed to pandemic.. | |
| 46 | Invented a cover having no effect (7) |
| INVALID – INV(ented) + A LID, a cover. Inv, an American abbreviation for invented, according to Collins. | |
| 47 | Aim to interrupt experiment with it (6) |
| TRENDY – END (aim) in TRY (experiment). | |
| 48 | Talent evident in opening couplet of flamenco tune (5) |
| FLAIR – FL(amenco) + AIR (tune) | |
| 50 | Husband longing to introduce a source of wild laughter? (5) |
| HYENA – H(usband) + YEN (longing) + A. Do hyenas laugh? Apparently yes, or at least sound like it .. | |
| 52 | University club bringing in old sub from overseas (1-4) |
| U-BOAT – U(niversity) + O(ld) in BAT. The U stands for “Untersee.” | |
For once, no DNKs, and no inept surfaces. I did have a couple of queries: CONF =online forum, INV=invention. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but I suppose one could say that a violin soloist or a singer was supported by the pianist. I think I first learned of hyenas as ‘laughing hyenas’; in any case, ODE sv ‘laughing hyena’ refers to ‘spotted hyena’.
I agree. All quite smoother. I finished in less than 1/2 hour with hardly any marks on my copy. I liked CASTIGATE best. The only DNK for me was the basketball tactic. Thanks Jerry and setter.
I found this very easy, done in under 15 minutes.
I had vaguely heard of the FULL COURT PRESS but I wouldn’t have been able to tell you what it was. I took it to be a cryptic definition and briefly wondered why a court being full would make journalists any busier.
I had the same thought about TRENCH but Collins defines it as ‘a deep ditch or furrow’.
I’m surprised to see two concerns about the definition of trench. Trench warfare was a feature of the first world war, and those trenches were typically 12 feet deep.
True but the clue says “deep hole” which made me think of a mineshaft or similar.
No big thing..
The defining characteristic of a trench vs a hole is not its depth, but its length.
My point, pretty much..
Boring to agree but it’s allowed sometimes 😉