Once again it befalls me to blog a Jumbo that I categorised as “tricky”. I noted on my copy that there were a) a lot of clues that involved reversing something, and b) a lot of clues where I landed upon the answer from def & checkers and had to reverse-engineer the wordplay, which isn’t necessarily the most satisfying way to proceed and suggests a modicum of over-complexity. There are also a few elements that are likely to befuddle non-UK solvers.
First in was NORTH AND SOUTH and last was CONDOTTIERI
If any of my explanations don’t make sense then feel free to ask for further elucidation.
The technical stuff:
Clues are in blue with the definition underlined. Anagram indicators are in bold italics.
Notation:
DD: Double definition
CD: Cryptic definition
DDCDH: DD/CD hybrid where a straight definition is combined with a cryptic hint.
&Lit: “all in one” where the entire clue is both definition and wordplay.
(fodder)* denotes an anagram of the letters in the brackets.
Rounded brackets are also used to add further clarity
Squiggly brackets {} indicate parts of a word not used
Deletions are struck out
Square brackets [] expand an abbreviation or shortening like N[ea]R.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | I prepare to fill barrows from back to front as planned (9) |
| STRATEGIC -Reversal of I GET in CARTS | |
| 6 | Trap for Londoners on both sides of the Thames? (5,3,5) |
| NORTH AND SOUTH -I wasn’t sure which half of this sort of double cryptic definition to underline as I don’t think either is a dictionary phrase, so I went for both. Trap is UK slang for mouth and North & South is cockney rhyming slang for mouth. North and South London are characteristically divided by the Thames, even though it meanders in all sorts of directions. | |
| 13 | Campaign launch on high times (5) |
| LOBBY – LOB (launch on high), BY (times) | |
| 14 | Channel Islands and Mediterranean area priest turned out of school? (11) |
| NONACADEMIC – Reversal (second one already!) of C[hannel] I[slands], MED[iterranean], A[rea], CANON | |
| 15 | Gallery excused, put back in control (5) |
| REINS – REINSTATE without TATE. I suppose take “the” reins = take control, but is there a direct equivalence between reins & control? | |
| 16 | Flash report of transgression finishing at nine? (11) |
| SCINTILLATE – sounds like SIN TILL EIGHT. I guess we’re all more familiar with the figurative rather than physical meaning. | |
| 17 | Prisoner with less reason, one for mercenary leaders (11) |
| CONDOTTIERI – CON, DOTTIER, I. My knowledge of Italy in the middle ages is a little sketchy so this was a DNK/NHO. | |
| 18 | Repeat name, holding Spanish article level (7) |
| ECHELON – ECHO N[ame] around EL. | |
| 20 | Rough winds in second month for grass (7) |
| SORGHUM – (rough)* in S[econd] M[onth]. NHO. | |
| 21 | Australian native “X” welcomed by Melbourne’s dame? (7) |
| ECHIDNA – CGHI in (Dame) EDNA (Everage) (alter ego of Barry Humphries) | |
| 23 | Standard warning to firefighters without face masks? (5,4,2,4,4) |
| SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES – DDCDH | |
| 27 | Runner in the cold not going full pelt? (3) |
| SKI – SKI |
|
| 28 | Parisian cleric stops near an arresting person (6) |
| NABBER – ABBE in N[ea]R | |
| 29 | French man shortened cloth (6) |
| FABRIC – FABRIC |
|
| 31 | Neat square at the back, pointed at the front? (9) |
| SHIPSHAPE – DDCDH | |
| 34 | Extremely delicate Test India played (9) |
| DAINTIEST – (test India)* | |
| 35 | PA is last to employ in good time (6) |
| YEARLY – {emplo}Y, EARLY | |
| 36 | Stay on ocean (6) |
| REMAIN – RE, MAIN | |
| 39 | Humans advanced to get superpower (3) |
| USA – US, A[dvanced]. USA is a “superpower” (at time of going to press) | |
| 40 | Number for tea party caterer? (5,3,3,6,2) |
| POLLY PUT THE KETTLE ON – CD. I don’t know if this children’s song is known outside these shores. | |
| 42 | Linseed’s foremost in hot, sweet bread (7) |
| STOLLEN – L{inseed} in STOLEN | |
| 43 | Carry by pickup, perhaps with special significance (7) |
| TOTEMIC – TOTE by MIC[rophone]. I suppose a mic “picks up” sound waves. | |
| 45 | Knock over a preferred piece in castling? (7) |
| PARAPET – RAP reversed, A, PET | |
| 47 | Sweeten listless person who’s on post-match trip (11) |
| HONEYMOONER – HONEY, MOONER | |
| 49 | Envision van under repair without inserting tools (11) |
| NONINVASIVE – (envision van)* | |
| 51 | Commercial management, primarily at the office? (5) |
| ADMIN – AD[vertisement], M{anagement}, IN, &Lit | |
| 52 | Hater on imps, possibly — or everyone? (11) |
| MISANTHROPE – (hater on imps)*. The definition is really “hater on everyone” (is in rather than of an Americanism?) so it’s a sort of semi-&Lit with hater being part of the wordplay and “or” acting as glue. Or something. | |
| 53 | Joint, not the first to cause irritation (5) |
| ANKLE – |
|
| 54 | Gentle touch with slap to settle differences (4,3,4,2) |
| KISS AND MAKE UP – KISS, AND, MAKE-UP | |
| 55 | Novel out as hers? (9) |
| AUTHORESS – (out as hers)* &Lit. Neat. | |
| Down | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Numbers agents rely on uncovering when backing shop worker (11) |
| SALESPERSON – Reversal (heh!) of NOS (numbers), REPS, {r}EL{y}, AS | |
| 2 | Trashy books I bound in haste (7) |
| RUBBISH – B[ook} B[ook} I in RUSH (are haste / rush equivalent?) | |
| 3 | Effort stumped by private meeting (5) |
| TRYST – TRY, ST[umped by] (cricket, natch) | |
| 4 | Westerner who shoots up, comfortable to hang around (10) |
| GUNSLINGER -SNUG reversed, LINGER | |
| 5 | Thoroughly investigate containers spanning vessel (7) |
| CANVASS – CANS around VAS (anatomical rather than culinary or nautical vessel). Not a meaning of canvass I knew. | |
| 6 | Type of power that’s leaner, developed with urgency (7,6) |
| NUCLEAR ENERGY – (leaner urgency)* | |
| 7 | Leaves middle of nice church with wireless coverage? (9) |
| RADICCHIO – {n}IC}e} CH[urch] in RADIO | |
| 8 | Bring up the writer’s French name: I’m surprised it could mean something else (7) |
| HOMONYM – reversal of MY NOM OH | |
| 9 | Nobody changed lyric including cool football chant (4,3,5) |
| NICE ONE CYRIL – NONE (lyric)* all around ICE. Much head-scratching amongst overseas and younger solvers I’ll warrant. A 1972 advertising slogan for bread became a Tottenham Hostspur terrace chant praising Cyril Knowles and led to a top 20 single issued to cash in on the 1973 league cup final. It then became a more widespread catchphrase. | |
| 10 | Cancels record damages? (9) |
| SCRATCHES -DD | |
| 11 | Bring together force taken from out-of-shape English (5) |
| UNITE -F[orce] removed from UNFIT E[nglish] | |
| 12 | Skewer boxer wearing tights and cause serious injury (11) |
| HOSPITALISE -SPIT ALI in HOSE | |
| 19 | Most ready for old-timer’s meeting of the mendacious? (7) |
| LIEFEST – DDCDH. LIEF is an archaic word for willing(ly). LIE-FEST is the cryptic hint. | |
| 22 | Detective’s seniority keeps equality run down (9) |
| DISPARAGE -DI’S AGE around PAR | |
| 24 | Dishonestly obtaining lots without any new part required (9) |
| OBBLIGATO – {n}OBBLI{n}G A TO{n}. Clever. | |
| 25 | Retiring, hiding skin blemish with dark complexion (7) |
| SWARTHY – SHY around WART | |
| 26 | Find the answer to upset person mislaying electric vehicle? (7) |
| RESOLVE – reversal of E.V. LOSER | |
| 30 | Skill of two vessels flanking small isle (13) |
| CRAFTSMANSHIP – CRAFT SHIP around S[mall] (Isle of) MAN | |
| 32 | Suffering from heat, wrestle with agitation (7) |
| SWELTER – (wrestle)* | |
| 33 | Fact-filled announcement of so-called garden city constructed (4-8) |
| WELL-INFORMED – Sounds like WELWYN (Garden City), FORMED. Another tricky one for non-Brits? | |
| 34 | Hems cut off blackish clothes once ready abroad (11) |
| DEUTSCHMARK – (hems cut)* in DARK | |
| 37 | Musical group hate live sets — their covers, anyway (11) |
| NONETHELESS – NONET H{at}E L{iv}E S{et}S | |
| 38 | Blue bloodline making the heart into pool? (10) |
| DESPONDENT -DESCENT with the C in the middle replaced with POND | |
| 40 | Optimistic person under 5, and mostly boring any over (9) |
| POLLYANNA – AN{d} in ANY reversed under POLL (canvass from 5d). The optimistic eponymous protagonist from a 1913 children’s book. | |
| 41 | One’s said to doctor, “Neuter cat” (9) |
| UTTERANCE – (neuter cat)* | |
| 43 | Liquor barrel lies north of Iowa country (7) |
| TUNISIA – TUN, IS, I[ow]A | |
| 44 | Stock phrases relating to Arsenal’s top footballer (7) |
| CANTONA – CANT, ON, A{rsenal}. Boo. And boo again. Pantomime villain (to put it mildly) for us Leeds fans. With his stupid turned up collar, arrogant air, daft poetry and kung-fu assaults on fans what’s not to hate? | |
| 46 | Thorn Birds’ central character in difficult situation (7) |
| PRICKLE – {bi}R{ds} in PICKLE | |
| 48 | City in France, home of a certain Jean (cousin of Serge) (5) |
| NIMES – DENIM gets its name from Serge de Nimes. | |
| 50 | Contribution to colossal amount for historic mission (5) |
| ALAMO – hidden | |
DNK N&S, but knew ‘trap’, which isn’t specifically UK. DNK CANTONA (can’t say NHO, as he appeared in a recent clue, which I didn’t understand, of course). NHO NICE ONE C. A MER at ‘hater on’; do Brits say that? We say ‘of’. NHO the garden city. I liked LOBBY & LIEFEST.
I never heard anyone say ‘hater on’.
Lots of unknowns and missed parsings here. I noted the RH was more difficult than the LH. I can’t say I enjoyed it much.