Time: DNF in something over the hour.
I normally give myself around an hour to do the Jumbos. Here I was four short around five minutes shy of that, but I then struggled mightily, eventually conceding defeat on UNENVIABLE, even with all the checkers.
Leaving aside my travails, there was plenty to like here in terms of clueing; construction and an abundance of smooth surfaces. There is also a notable appearance in one form or another of various children’s films. If you include Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka, I counted Lion King; Matilda and Spider-Man all making an appearance.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Tongue of mutant angleworm (3,6) |
| LOW GERMAN – A fairly straightforward one to get us started, the answer being an anagram (mutant) of angleworm. | |
| 6 | Queen replaces ring out of insincere fault-finding (13) |
| HYPERCRITICAL – Insincere gives us HYPOCRITICAL from which we replace the O with ER (for our most frequently encountered Queen). | |
| 13 | Where Labour is following Conservative split (5) |
| CLEFT – Labour here is not “Lab” but LEFT which follows C for Conservative. | |
| 14 | Friends regularly do fish (3,6) |
| RED MULLET – Every other letter (regularly) of “friends” gives us RED to which we add MULLET as a type of hairdo, which is one of the very many definitions of DO. A tricky little word, and one for newbies to look out for, as it does appear from time to time in its hairdo sense. | |
| 15 | Former train managers had been in The Sun (7) |
| BROWNED – Another clue where careful attention is needed to every word, as “had” is part of the wordplay (not the definition) meaning OWNED. This is added to the abbreviation for British Rail (BR). | |
| 16 | At first the zoo hadn’t let in teen, keen to cook rabbit (4,8,2,3,5) |
| TALK NINETEEN TO THE DOZEN – Not the most exciting zoo if it has rabbits, but when has realism ever been a sine qua non of these things? It is certainly a splendid anagram of the first letter of “the” followed by ZOOHADNTLETINTEENKEEN, all of which is all “cooked” to produce a rather different type of rabbit. | |
| 18 | Love to sleep at night in such a way as to be picked up with minimal effort (2,1,5) |
| ON A PLATE – Love gives us a big fat O for zero, after which we NAP LATE which is what you would do if you sleep at night. | |
| 20 | Harsh and tense, except if swallowing tablet (8) |
| TUNELESS – Clever surface. “Tense” gives us T and “except” UNLESS which has to swallow a tablet of ecstasy (E). | |
| 21 | African expresses annoyance with India (5) |
| TUTSI – TUTS + I. | |
| 23 | Cats perhaps way ahead of fish (6) |
| STRAYS – There have been a number of discussions on this website about the order of words indicated by certain words, particularly whether A “on” B means the A comes first or second. “Ahead” falls into the same category here. ST (for street) is our way and RAYS are our fish. Clearly ST is meant to come before the RAYS but depending which way you squint I think the opposite could be argued. | |
| 24 | Lust of French father (6) |
| DESIRE -DE + SIRE. Sire as a verb here. | |
| 25 | Take time — what Olympics chief did? (9) |
| TRANSPORT – This is one of the interconnecting four clues I struggled with at the end. TRANSPORT isn’t the most obvious synonym for “take” but the w/p should have been easier than I made it. I knew what I was looking for but I just couldn’t nail it for ages. As is quite obvious now, Olympic chiefs would have RAN SPORT which we add to T for time. | |
| 28 | English comedic actor filling berth at sea (10) |
| BEWILDERED – Another clever one. Gene WILDER is the comedic actor we need to find which joins up with E and then fills BED for “berth”.
Wilder was possibly best known for his role as Willy Wonka in the 1970’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but starred in many other films including Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. He died in 2016. |
|
| 29 | Complain about accent (4) |
| CARP -I must confess that this was another one that I struggled with, forgetting the Received Pronunciation (RP) synonym for “accent”. That is added to CA for circa/about. | |
| 30 | Star related to the sun not initially accepted by irrational figures (7) |
| POLARIS -PI is our irrational figure/number, which is pluralised and put round (accepted by) a word meaning “related to the sun” (SOLAR) without its initial letter. | |
| 32 | They fly upward as her seaplane circles (7) |
| DASHERS – Hidden. | |
| 34 | First-class Berliner’s agreed with Times hero (4) |
| AJAX – A = “first-class”; JA = yes in German; X = “times” as in multiplication. Construct. I refer you to Wikipedia if you want to know more about this hero; his part in the Trojan War; and his descent from Zeus. I remember AJAX as a cleaning product popular in the Seventies. | |
| 35 | Painful, backward Mediterranean island: one’s taking on new Cypriot character (10) |
| UNENVIABLE – This was my nemesis. I got to UN-N-IABLE but could just not see how to finish the clue, forgetting that “one’s” can be IVE as well as the I’S I was trying to shoehorn in. To be fair, UNENVIABLE is not an obvious synonym for “painful” and I can’t find it in Chambers but no doubt it is in one of the dictionaries.
The wordplay is a reversal of ELBA + IVE + NU (one of the Greek characters disguised as a Cypriot, presumably not the Turkish part) all around N for “new”. |
|
| 38 | Incorrect dates inscribed into perfect monument (9) |
| HEADSTONE – An anagram of DATES inside HONE (perfect, as a verb). | |
| 39 | Fair and square to take days tracking British Library (6) |
| BLONDE -I have never thought of ONE as a square number but it is. It surrounds (to take) D for “days” and then follows (tracks) BL for British Library. Not sure I have seen that abbreviation before but it is in the dictionary. | |
| 40 | Old jazz fan and policeman featuring in magazine (6) |
| HEPCAT – PC in HEAT. HEPCAT is a word I would not have known if it were not for crosswords. HEAT is not the most obvious magazine so hopefully there weren’t too many of you stuck knowing neither that nor the literal. | |
| 43 | Small river rod (5) |
| STAFF – S + TAFF. | |
| 45 | Gallery carrying advanced volume, abridged to order (8) |
| TABULATE – TATE goes around A for “advanced’` and BULK without its last letter (abridged). | |
| 47 | Impulsive old man getting into eg single sleeping place (8) |
| CRASHPAD – An impulsive old man could be a RASH PA which is inserted into CD which might have been the source of a single in the Hit Charts at one point, I guess. | |
| 49 | Catholic nuns may not riot, having resettled in Monaco? (14,8) |
| CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY – (CATHOLICNUNSMAYNOTRUNRIOT)* I think this setter had some fun coming up with these long anagrams. This is not a bad one at all. | |
| 52 | Journalist provided with cool building of impressive size (7) |
| EDIFICE -ED + IF + ICE (as a verb). | |
| 53 | Trolley that is carrying insulation tissue (9) |
| CARTILAGE -CART and then IE around LAG. | |
| 54 | Initially Spider-Man’s peer, is that Eddie or Venom? (5) |
| SPITE – Initial letters clue. This might go over most folks’ heads (it certainly went over mine) but Venom is a character in the Spider-Man Universe, being a sentient alien symbiotic with an amorphous liquid form who survives by bonding with a host, usually human. That was Spider-Man himself and then later Eddie Brock, hence the two references in the clue. | |
| 55 | Thrilling to hide bit on the side of Miss Trunchbull? (13) |
| HEADMISTRESSY – Miss Trunchbull appears as the antagonist for Matilda in the eponymous play and film. I didn’t know that but the wordplay was reasonably helpful being HEADY for “thrilling” around MISTRESS for “bit on the side”. | |
| 56 | Lion King villain adopting very English energy for hyena? (9) |
| SCAVENGER – Crikey, what a lot of film references we are getting. SCAR is the Lion King villain, which goes around V + ENG + E. Biffable from the definition. | |
| Down | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Spots something positive in Spanish article (9) |
| LOCATIONS – Another biff and then back to school science for the w/p vaguely recalling CATION (a positively charged ion) which goes inside LOS as our article in Spanish. | |
| 2 | Builder uses this with inclination to exclude scrap (11) |
| WHEELBARROW – Our builder sounds like (s)he has been to Ikea to construct this effort: W (abbreviation of “with”, easy to overlook) + HEEL (inclination) + BAR (exclude) + ROW (scrap). | |
| 3 | Topless groom is finished (5) |
| EATEN – This is NEATEN for groom with the first letter removed (topless). | |
| 4 | Steep ruin in boundless sea? (8) |
| MARINATE – Another instruction clue: MAR (ruin) + IN (in plain sight) + ATE being WATER (sea?) without its first or last letters (boundless). | |
| 5 | Failing in duty, being out of habit (6) |
| NUDITY – Neat cluing. “Failing” is our anagram indicator with (IN DUTY)* being the fodder. | |
| 6 | Roman’s here to collect river aggregate that’s brought up — it might encourage movement (5,5) |
| HOUSE MUSIC – Maybe a little bit clunky but hats off to our setter for conjuring surfaces that have nothing to do with the literal.
We have just had a Spanish article. Here we go further back in time for a “Roman here” ie HIC into which is inserted OUSE as our river and a reversal (“brought up” in a down clue) of SUM (aggregate). |
|
| 7 | The ploy began to unravel in storage unit? (9,3) |
| POLYTHENE BAG – Again the surface doesn’t seem all that credible but another good anagram, this time of (THE PLOY BEGAN)*. | |
| 8 | Give another name to About Time, displayed in part of wall (7) |
| RETITLE – TILE is “part of wall” which surrounds T (time) and follows RE for “about”. | |
| 9 | Thoughtlessly approving tips, barmen struggling with grub (6-8) |
| RUBBER-STAMPING – And another great anagram, this time with a sort of believable surface. The fodder is (TIPS BARMEN and GRUB). | |
| 10 | Repeatedly bring forward anti-Communist slogan? (4,3) |
| TROT OUT – Double definition with a non-literal second limb. | |
| 11 | Hoax certificate — good idea for prom attendee? (11) |
| CONCERTGOER – CON (hoax) + CERT (certificate) + GOER (good idea). | |
| 12 | Song including introduction to Devil Woman (4) |
| LADY – LAY outside D, as the first letter of “Devil”. The only decent song Cliff produced? Discuss. | |
| 17 | Horror movie exam papers getting recalled (8) |
| DISTASTE – a reversal of ET (our favourite crossword movie) + SATS (exam) + ID (papers). | |
| 19 | Constancy of prince perhaps shaking head between two lochs (9) |
| LOYALNESS – Two lochs are L and NESS into which we place ROYAL (prince, perhaps) with its head shaken (off). A rather odd word which some argue is rather unnecessary when we have the perfectly serviceable “loyalty”. | |
| 22 | Send down, say, in recount (8) |
| RELEGATE – EG in RELATE. | |
| 25 | Dish of eastern European butter, maybe on the counter (8) |
| TAPENADE – This was another of the four clues that flummoxed me at the end. I did eventually tease it out as being a reversal (on the counter) of E + DANE (European) + PAT (butter, perhaps). Not an easy one. I wanted ram for butter and was going down blind alleys searching for the right European. | |
| 26 | Main quality of points covered by short dance (9) |
| SALTINESS – Lovely definition. “Points” are TINES which goes inside SALS(A). | |
| 27 | Significance of where snow isn’t shifting south (14) |
| NEWSWORTHINESS – Our latest long anagram, of WHERE SNOW ISNT (shifting) to which we add S at the end. | |
| 28 | Friend initially doesn’t mind about his faith (8) |
| BUDDHISM – BUD + DM (the initials of “doesn’t mind”) around HIS (in plain sight). | |
| 31 | Sports drill AI composed, embraced by Spurs (3,9) |
| BAR BILLIARDS -BARBS are “spurs” into which we insert an anagram of (DRILL AI)*.
Very convincing surface, on the basis that AI isn’t yet up to Arsenal level standard of set pieces, and Spurs’s drills are not looking too effective at the moment (along with their attacking; defending and managing). |
|
| 33 | Reach a part of Anfield, one much appreciated for continental food (11) |
| SPANAKOPITA – Another delivery from our favourite Swedish DIY store. SPAN (reach) + A + KOP (part of Anfield) + I + TA (much appreciated).
The setter has given a bit of help here by the addition of “continental”. I did know this as it came up on The Great British Bake Off once. Filo pastry and spinach the key ingredients. |
|
| 36 | Second crown put back on monarch going on holiday? (11) |
| BACKPACKING – BACK for “second” followed by a reversal of CAP, topped off by KING for “monarch”. Still can remember my marvellous backpacking/interrailing holiday from the mid-80s. Never drunk retsina again, though. | |
| 37 | Working with money to infiltrate intelligence, not primarily showing cohesion (10) |
| CONTINUITY – Working with money gives us ON + TIN which goes inside (A)CUITY. | |
| 41 | Bed ready with this firstly positioned? (5,4) |
| TEDDY BEAR – An anagrammatical “All in One” clue where the whole answer is also the wordplay. “Positioned” is our anagram indicator for (BED READY and then the first letter of “this”)* | |
| 42 | Where elders may be rendered in sculpture, perhaps American (8) |
| ARBORETA -“Rendered” gives us BORE which goes inside ART (sculpture, perhaps) with A for “American” coming at the end. | |
| 44 | Briefly cover S&M ideology (7) |
| FASCISM – Cover = FASCI(A) from which the last letter is deleted (briefly). S&M completes the answer. Neat, concise cluing. | |
| 46 | He might not let you enter ball? (7) |
| BOUNCER – Double definition. | |
| 48 | Irish city, but not the capital succeeded every time (6) |
| ALWAYS – (G)ALWAY is our capital-less Irish city, and “succeeded” gives us S. | |
| 50 | A key passage (5) |
| AISLE -Not the first time most of us have seen this construction/clue but it bears repeating. For newbies, “key” is another name for an island (in theory a low island or reef), giving us A ISLE. | |
| 51 | Opinion on husband’s letter from Jerusalem (4) |
| BETH -BET + H. | |
Struggled through this and completed it eventually, occasionally resorting to aids as I started to run short of time. UNENVIABLE was my LOI on the basis that it fitted the checkers and I could see ELBA as wordplay; for that reason I didn’t like the clue (and still don’t) but I just wanted done with it all by then. Why is BAR BILLIARDS defined as ‘sports’ plural? Some may query it even in the singular.
DNF
Never got UNENVIABLE or SPANAKOPITA. I can’t imagine how I’d get the latter, never having heard of it, or Anfield. DNK HOUSE MUSIC, POLYTHENE, FASCIA, Scar (or anyone else in The Lion King) . 42d: rendered=bore? I liked the anagrams, especially CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY, which I somehow biffed from I, L, A.