Now here’s something. A first Jumbo Quick Cryptic? It doesn’t say that in the title, but it is by far the easiest Jumbo Cryptic I can remember. Most of the across clues fell in on a first pass and then all but 5D of the downs, but it was no less enjoyable for that. I finished in 16:33. Thank-you setter! How did you all get on?
Definitions underlined in bold italics, (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc, {deletions} and [] other indicators.
| Across | |
| 1 | Teacher bowled over by American composer’s perfume ingredient (9) |
| AMBERGRIS – AM (American) BERG (composer), SIR (teacher) [bowled over] -> RIS. | |
| 6 | Fruit-bearing plant university included among sale items (5) |
| LOTUS – U (University) in LOTS (sale items). Have you ever eaten Lotus fruits? Me neither. Read about the Lotus-eaters here. The lotus fruit is about the size of the lentisk berry and in sweetness resembles the date. The lotus-eaters even succeeded in obtaining from it a sort of wine. Polybius identifies the land of the lotus-eaters as the island of Djerba (ancient Meninx), off the coast of Tunisia. I never knew that. Educational rabbit-hole of the day. | |
| 9 | Marine organism filling children with wonder (7) |
| SEAWEED – AWE (wonder) in SEED (children). | |
| 13 | Very quietly crosses border to spruce up (5) |
| PRIMP – PP (pianissimo; very quietly) outside RIM (border). | |
| 14 | Alloy identified by publication monk brought back (7) |
| AMALGAM – MAG (publication) LAMA (monk), [brought back] -> AMALGAM. | |
| 15 | In back street criticising ornamental accessories (9) |
| TRAPPINGS – RAPPING (criticising), in ST (Street) [brought back] -> TS. | |
| 16 | Land with rowing crew of little substance (11) |
| LIGHTWEIGHT – LIGHT (land) W (with) EIGHT (rowing crew). Furthermore “lightweight” is a classification of rowing crew see here. | |
| 17 | Heavy-handed with regard to deportment (11) |
| OVERBEARING – OVER (with regard to) BEARING (deportment). | |
| 18 | Extract from Camelot, a hit in a Pacific island (6) |
| TAHITI -Hidden in, [extract from], CameloT A HIT In. Some may object to the superfluous “a” in the clue before “Pacific Island” but I’m not so pedantically Ximenean so have included it in the definition. | |
| 19 | Sully name of British hotel riven by violent crimes (8) |
| BESMIRCH – (crimes)* [violent] in B (British) H (hotel in the NATO phonetic alphabet). | |
| 21 | A match for Zoroastrian writings? (6) |
| AVESTA – A VESTA (match). Which reminds me… One of my favourite grace pronouncements at tea from an atheist master-on-duty at boarding school in Barnard Castle was… “Asbestos, Domestos, Swan Vestas, God rest us. Amen.”, trumped only by… “For bread and jam and beans on toast, praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.” | |
| 25 | A hot pie I cooked in the country (8) |
| ETHIOPIA – (a hot pie I)* [cooked]. | |
| 26 | Stock expedition helper, one who carries the flag (8-6) |
| STANDARD-BEARER – STANDARD (stock) BEARER (expedition helper). | |
| 28 | Clumsily handles two-handed hammers (5) |
| MAULS – Double definition. No – I didn’t know the second definition either. Chambers has “MAUL – A war-club or mace (obsolete)”. Obfuscatory obscurantism my little chickadee… and if you know what that’s a quote from I’ll be amazed. If you want to know leave a comment and I’ll let on. | |
| 29 | Unmarried son to left of fireplace (6) |
| SINGLE – S (son) INGLE (fireplace). | |
| 30 | He can putter endlessly about, producing set of biblical books (10) |
| PENTATEUCH – (he can putte{r} [endlessly])* [about]. | |
| 33 | Seabird Tyler introduced to woolgatherer? (10) |
| SHEARWATER – WAT (Tyler) in SHEARER (woolgatherer; ha ha). Wat Tyler was the leader of the peasants revolt of 1381, as I’m sure you knew already. | |
| 35 | Arrival of current viral disease, an unknown quantity (6) |
| INFLUX – IN (current) FLU (viral disease) X (an unknown quantity) | |
| 36 | Large shallow dish, a benefit the drunk may say? (5) |
| ASHET -Sounds like ASSET (benefit) with the slur of a drunkard. | |
| 38 | Supervisors gripped by new idea not referred to previously (14) |
| AFOREMENTIONED – FOREMEN (supervisors) in (idea not)* [new]. | |
| 40 | Neckerchief displayed by girl with music group (8) |
| BANDANNA – BAND (music group) ANNA (girl). “By” signifies just a juxtaposition and doesn’t stipulate which of the two parts of the answer comes first. I thought the answer must be xxxxBAND at first. | |
| 42 | Allow some clergymen a blessing (6) |
| ENABLE – Hidden in clergymEN A BLEssing. | |
| 43 | Debauchee transfixed by Latvian gambling game (8) |
| ROULETTE – LETT (Latvian) in ROUE (debauchee). Transfixed by is an unusual inclusion indicator but has come up elsewhere recently – in 31st July’s 15×15. I wonder if it’s the same compiler? | |
| 44 | Container for drink giving us courage (6) |
| BOTTLE – Double definition. | |
| 47 | Clarify girl’s viewpoint about a medical specialism (11) |
| DISENTANGLE – DI’S ANGLE (girl’s viewpoint) about ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat; crosswordland’s favourite medical specialism). | |
| 50 | Radio message from Italian chap at border going west (11) |
| MARCONIGRAM – MARCO (Italian chap), MARGIN (border) [going west] -> NIGRAM. | |
| 52 | Surviving longer than dated benefice (9) |
| OUTLIVING – OUT (dated) LIVING (benefice). | |
| 53 | A new senior officer cutting teetotal function (7) |
| TANGENT – A N (new) GEN (General; senior officer) in TT (teetotal). | |
| 54 | Extortion originally unknown in American transport system (5) |
| USURY – First letter, [originally], of Unknown in US (American) RY (railway; transport system) | |
| 55 | Figure of horse visible in middle of day (7) |
| NONAGON – NAG (horse) in NOON (middle of day). | |
| 56 | It reflected a source of light, like some roofs (5) |
| TILED – IT [reflected] -> TI, LED (source of light). | |
| 57 | Revolutionary with irregular pulse guarding king’s burial mound (9) |
| SEPULCHRE – [Irregular] (pulse)*, CHE (revolutionary) outside R (Rex; king). I was curious so looked up the definition. ODE tells us it can be a monument of stone in which a dead person is buried. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Horrify a man like Revere when speaking (5) |
| APPAL – A, PPAL -sounds like PAUL (Revere) [when speaking]. | |
| 2 | Win rapturous applause, as demolition workers might? (5,3,5,4) |
| BRING THE HOUSE DOWN – Doubled definition with the second a cryptic hint. | |
| 3 | Tedious about little French promissory notes (11) |
| REPETITIOUS – RE (about) PETIT (little, in French) IOUS (promissory notes. Oh no! I had a transcription error from my paper copy to the online version to enter the competition (and provide the basis for the blog) and typed REPITITIONS. Grr! | |
| 4 | University lecturer is back, carrying keys (6) |
| READER – REAR (back) containing D and E (keys with 2 and 4 sharps in the key signature respectively). | |
| 5 | Sequins originally symbolising primitive settlers (8) |
| SPANGLES – First letters of Symbolising Primitive, ANGLES (settlers). | |
| 6 | Run away? I’m in a cathedral city — justifiably! (12) |
| LEGITIMATELY – LEG IT (run away; that made me laugh) I’M AT (in) ELY (a cathedral city). | |
| 7 | Instrument ultimately safe under pulpit in Italian city (10) |
| TAMBOURINE – AMBO (pulpit) in TURIN (Italian city), last letter, [ultimately], of safE. Entertaining surface. I now know where to hide my tambourine in Turin if I take it there. | |
| 8 | French composer’s link with South Africa (5) |
| SATIE – SA (South Africa) TIE (link). | |
| 9 | Brilliant management — it’s a mariner’s right! (9) |
| STARBOARD – STAR (brilliant) BOARD (management). | |
| 10 | Pacification of our primitive ancestors collecting vegetables on time (11) |
| APPEASEMENT – APEMEN (our primitive ancestors) outside PEAS (vegetables), on T (time). | |
| 11 | Listlessness in French university involving new intake primarily (5) |
| ENNUI – N (new), in EN (in, in French) U (University), Intake [primarily]. | |
| 12 | Swindle over wise man’s prescribed amount of medicine (6) |
| DOSAGE – DO (swindle) SAGE (wise man). | |
| 18 | Rubbish found under mother’s damaged heat regulator (10) |
| THERMOSTAT – (mother’s)* [damaged] TAT (rubbish). | |
| 20 | Supernatural cure unknown to protect archdeacon (8) |
| HEAVENLY – VEN (archdeacon) in HEAL (cure), Y (unknown). | |
| 22 | Reportedly made more than one projection? Completely (7,3,7) |
| THROUGH AND THROUGH – Sounds like, [reportedly], THREW AND THREW (made more than one projection). | |
| 23 | Writing about English initially attending Spanish carnival (6) |
| FIESTA – FIST (writing) about E, Attending [initially]. | |
| 24 | Moulding academician put up disturbed the vicar (10) |
| ARCHITRAVE – RA (academician) [put up] -> AR, (the vicar)* [disturbed]. | |
| 27 | Creative type in Isle of Wight resort withholding name (8) |
| INVENTOR – IN, VENT{n}OR (Isle of Wight resort) without the N (name). | |
| 31 | Revenue collector finally caught feller from Atlanta? (6) |
| TAXMAN – Last letter, [finally], of caughT, AXMAN (American, from Atlanta], spelling of (tree) feller). | |
| 32 | Weakened without sources of transmittable energy? That’s not established (12) |
| UNDETERMINED – UNDERMINED (weakened) outside, [without], first letters, [sources[, of Transmittable Energy. | |
| 34 | Bird house ultimately surrounded by colourful flags (4,7) |
| REED BUNTING – HousE [ultimately] in RED BUNTING (colourful flags). | |
| 36 | I avoid usual changes involving hearing and sight (11) |
| AUDIOVISUAL – (I avoid usual)* [changes]. | |
| 37 | Huge, like some masons? (10) |
| MONUMENTAL – Double definition, the second a cryptic hint. | |
| 39 | Joy about European advertiser’s third promotion (9) |
| ELEVATION – ELATION (joy) about E (European) adVertiser [‘s third letter]. | |
| 41 | Appetisers for race officials? (8) |
| STARTERS -Double definition. | |
| 45 | Meet girl in commercial at home (6) |
| ADJOIN – JO (girl) in AD (commercial) IN (at home). | |
| 46 | Send off work after surgical procedure (4-2) |
| POST-OP – POST (send off) OP (Opus; work). | |
| 48 | Demonstrated closely woven fabric (5) |
| SATIN – SAT IN (demonstrated). | |
| 49 | Joint of meat obtained by serviceman abroad (5) |
| GIGOT – GI (serviceman abroad) GOT (obtained). | |
| 51 | Yankee born in West, perhaps (5) |
| MAYBE – Y (Yankee in the NATO phonetic alphabet) B (born) in MAE (West). | |
Easy, and boring. DNK ASHET & MARCONIGRAM. My only problem came from writing in BRING DOWN THE HOUSE at 2d, ignoring the enumeration; it was some time before I noticed my error.
14:52. It’s rare for me to dip under 15 minutes so this was definitely easy. 1602 in March was even easier but I made a mistake on that one!
I obviously didn’t know what your quote at 28ac was from but google tells me it’s Prof. E. McSquared’s Original, Fantastic and Highly Edifying Calculus Primer. I found an article that mentions it (including the quote) in the New York Times from 1978. The next search result after that is you mentioning it in a blog in 2020, so somewhat esoteric!
I assumed the quote was from W.C.Fields because of his movie My Little Chickadee. Also it sounds like something he would say. My second guess would be Conrad Black.
Straightforward. I thought my only unknown was ASHET but on checking I found it has come up several times before, even excluding Mephistos which I don’t do. In 2021 it was in a Quick Cryptic. MAUL as a type of hammer seemed vaguely familiar once I’d arrived at the answer from the other definition.
A splendid romp, but I still managed to pick up one pink square for misspelling SHEARWATER with an E instead of the A. I also thought the quote must be W C Fields so it seems I’m wrong there too
Yes, easy and quick. I have a maul somewhere, I think it is next to the spokeshave .. there are different kinds, mine is a splitting maul, a combination axe and hammer for splitting wood.
I am far from Ximenean, but I can be pedantic.. it is Ximenean, not Ximinean, John 🙂
Oops. Thanks. Now fixed.
My fastest-ever Jumbo too, although 40 minutes clearly doesn’t compare to your times.
Two massive harrumphs, one for each of the birds