I had intended to post this blog with a future date before I went on holiday so that it would pop up last weekend but I ran out of time so I’m afraid it’s late again.
I’d say this was the best Jumbo I’ve blogged so far, full of wit, imagination, originality and really good cluing so thanks to the setter for a first class example of the compiler’s art. As usual I’ve saved on ink by not explaining all the clues so if you’re still in t’dark about summat leave a question and some kindly soul will explain.
First in was THREE POINT TURN (although I’m not sure why I started part way down the acrosses) and last was REMITTAL.
[Editing note: This blog got lost in the transfer from LiveJournal and has been reconstructed from the post here on 17/8/24]
| Across | |
| 5 | NARROW – A R(iver) R(uns) in NOW |
| 9 | FALAFEL – FA & LA (notes) + FEL{on}. If you’ve never had a falafel you haven’t missed much |
| 14 | BULLET POINT – BULLET + point for train as in aim, def is list item |
| 15 | AFFIRMATION – A F FIRM {n}ATION |
| 17 | CABLE TV – CAB LET V. I was a bit flummoxed when 7d indicated that I needed a 2-letter word ending in V |
| 19 | PERSONA – at first sight I was a bit put out that PERSON was clued as “a boy” but of course it’s PER (as in grapes, two pounds a bunch) plus SON, then A. Who on TftT, I wonder, is a persona? |
| 22 | INTONATION – a sort of DD/CD hybrid based on the premise that if you’re patriotic you’re into (your) nation |
| 23 | SMOOCH – M O O in SCH and we’re looking at the swimming pool definition of pet |
| 28 | THREE POINT TURN – the definition, enumeration and capitalisation were a bit of a giveaway (as a Brit at least, I don’t know if you call it something else in the USA, Oz, Japan, Kenya etc) but this is rather neat and is based on the premise that NEW is a reversal of compass points W E N |
| 30 | IMPINGED – One’s = I’m and pinging is some computer malarkey that tests network connections |
| 32 | IN-FLIGHT – quirky DD |
| 34 | HYPOALLERGENIC – H + E in (copingreally)*. Easy for me as our dog is a hypoallergenic breed. |
| 43 | MEPHISTOPHELEAN – M.E.P. + HIS TOP HE LEAN{t}. I didn’t know that Mephistopheles was cynical but then there’s loads of stuff I don’t know |
| 45 | DAB HAND – brilliant clue that made me laugh. I’m not sure if DAB HAND for expert is peculiarly British |
| 47 | ANCHORAGE – anagram of (f)OR A CHANGE |
| 51 | TOT UP – TO + PUT back i.e. replace. Clever device and good use of a question mark |
| 52 | MOISTURISER – I in (trousersim)* |
| 53 | TELEKINESIS – (seen itslike)*. If you believe in telekinesis raise my hand |
| 54 | ROOKERY – ROOK{i}E + YR reversed |
| 55 | NEEDLE – what a fantastically concise bit of cluing (“Get to the point”). DD comprising GET TO & THE POINT. I’ve no idea if this has been used before but it’s brilliant. |
| 56 | BETEL NUT – LET reversed in BE NUT |
| Down | |
| 2 | ILLUSTRATOR – I’LL US{e} TRA{c}TOR. I don’t think a tractor is a “thing” in technical drawing (although a young child might say it instead of protractor), it’s just the silly old setter being clever with his use of words |
| 3 | GREENHORN – GREEN as a “place for putting” (think golf) plus HORN for the part of the body that a ram or goat would use to butt you |
| 4 | EXPECTANT MOTHER – (cartphonetextme)*. I can’t get the surface reading to work |
| 7 | REARVIEW MIRROR – DD. Very witty, Wilde |
| 8 | WAFFLE IRON – WAFFLE as in flannel as in imprecise talk + IRON with baker being the def as in a thing that bakes. Have they had waffle week on TGBBO this year yet? |
| 9 | FORAGES – FOR AGES |
| 10 | LEANT – LENT (period of fasting) around A to give you, um, well… a bit of debate about this one on the club forum. Those who think lean and advance are synonymous are probably thinking along the lines of leaning towards / advancing towards something figuratively. Moi? Well, I think the closeness of lent to advanced as in provided a loan points to a probable error. |
| 11 | FRIGHTENING – R(epublican) in FIGHT + ENDING without the D(emocrat) |
| 12 | LONGWAYS – (gown)* in LAYS |
| 13 | LIMB – {c}LIMB |
| 20 | COOING – CO + {g}OING |
| 21 | RIBBING – DD |
| 22 | INTUIT – T for time in INUIT |
| 24 | HAMMER AND SICKLE – ‘ANDS + {p}ICKLE after HAMMER |
| 26 | STAYS THE COURSE – STAYS + (corsethue)* |
| 27 | EDUCES – SEDUCE with the S sent to the end |
| 29 | EMIRATI – (airtime)* |
| 31 | FLORIN – OR in FLIN[g]. For the benefit of our overseas viewers a florin is an old two bob bit |
| 33 | FRAPPUCCINO – FR for father then ON IC{e} CUPPA reversed. I don’t think I’ve had one but I can guess what two actual drinks it’s a combo of. Hello, I’m Simon Cloak… and I’m Derek Dagger… and together we are… Simon and Derek |
| 35 | NON-PARTISAN – N in NOP (I think National Opinion Polls is now GFK NOP) + ARTISAN |
| 36 | STEPHENSON – HEN in STEPSON. Oh, that sort of rocket |
| 40 | DEBUTANTE – TUBE reversed in DANTE |
| 41 | EMBALMER – anagram of BREAM and LEM{on} with “who made mummy?” the amusing definition |
| 42 | REMITTAL – I’M in LATTER all reversed |
| 44 | TEA TRAY – TEAT RAY |
| 46 | DEPOSIT – 1S in TOPED all reversed |
| 48 | OUTRE – ROUTE with the R dropped a few places |