I rather liked this well-crafted Jumbo with its good mix of fairly straightforward clues and a few pearls, which I enjoyed for a second time compiling the blog. It took me 39 1/2 minutes, which is pretty much my average for a Jumbo Cryptic. As always, my vocabulary (if I remember it) was extended by an unknown – in this case 13A. Last one in 15A took me a while to see, but otherwise not too many hold-ups. Favourite clues included 21A, 30A, 38A, 26D, 29D and 46D but COD to the great &lit 31A. 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 | Male with inclination to engage in securing deliveries? (4,7) |
| SEAM BOWLING – M (male) BOW (inclination) in SEALING (securing). A cricketing answer. | |
| 7 | Gaze a long time on story involving female’s elevated status? (4,7) |
| LIFE PEERAGE – PEER (gaze) AGE (a long time) after [on] F (female) in LIE (story). | |
| 13 | Gallery publication possibly providing art analogies on cue (9,8) |
| CATALOGUE RAISONNÉ– [possibly providing] (art analogies on cue)*. A new phrase on me but the checkers led me to the second word. | |
| 14 | European river starts to run here in East (5) |
| RHINE – Initial letters of Run Here, IN, E (east). | |
| 15 | Right to avoid description of motorway for description of flying (6) |
| AERIAL – A{rt}ERIAL (description of motorway) without the RT (right). Tricky. My last one in. | |
| 16 | Additional comment: cowboy’s sidekick recalled stabbing enemy (8) |
| FOOTNOTE – TONTO (the Lone Ranger’s (cowboy’s) sidekick) [recalled] -> OTNOT, in FOE. | |
| 17 | Small bird — horse pursued by it around area (4,3) |
| COAL TIT – A (area) in COLT (horse), IT. | |
| 19 | Smooth surface I start to appreciate in nut tree (9) |
| MACADAMIA – MACADAM (tarmac; smooth road surface) I and first letter of Appreciate. | |
| 21 | Drug is found following arrest behind prison (8) |
| CANNABIS – CAN (prison) NAB (arrest) IS. Nice use of positional indicators to make a good clue surface. | |
| 23 | Annoyance after losing last old currency (4) |
| PESO – PES{t} (annoyance) without the last letter, O (old). | |
| 25 | Little daughter beside jetty, abandoned by husband (5) |
| DWARF – D (daughter), W{h}ARF (jetty) without the H (husband). | |
| 27 | Tolkien character? Try to think back (6) |
| GOLLUM – GO (try), MULL (think) reversed -> LLUM. | |
| 28 | Refine jet design, perhaps, lest airmen crashed (10) |
| STREAMLINE – (lest airmen)* [crash]. | |
| 30 | Where’s most of the dictionary when everything’s accounted for? (5,3) |
| AFTER ALL – Double definition, the first a cryptic hint; most of the dictionary comes after the word “all”. | |
| 31 | Work beginning to manifest death to ruler, King? (2,5,7) |
| LE MORTE D’ARTHUR – A lovely &lit… [work], anagram, of first letter of [beginning to] (M{anifest} death to ruler)*, R (Rex; King). Chapeau! | |
| 34 | Location of capital often a holiday destination (6,2,6) |
| BUREAU DE CHANGE – Cryptic definition. | |
| 35 | Lower area of land occupied by graduate negotiator (8) |
| DIPLOMAT – DIP (lower, the verb), MA (graduate) in LOT (area of land). | |
| 38 | Auctions go astray, affecting contacts (10) |
| CONTAGIOUS – (auctions go)* [astray]. Great definition. | |
| 40 | Buffalo Bill enthrals me — light entertainment (6) |
| COMEDY – ME in CODY (Bill Cody; aka Buffalo Bill) | |
| 41 | Safe haven — at first, only what it seems (5) |
| OASIS – First letter of O{nly} AS IS (what it seems). | |
| 43 | Surprise without opening wine (4) |
| HOCK – {s}HOCK (surprise) without eh first letter. | |
| 44 | Composer’s name is translated — French are engaged in that (8) |
| MESSIAEN – ES ((you) are in French) in (name is)* [translated]. Olivier Messiaen composer of one of my favourite pieces, the epic Turangalila Symphony which uses the eerie early electronic instrument the ondes martenot. The slow movement with its characteristic bird calls @ 40:44 is sublime, IMO. | |
| 45 | Height in a border may be an Alpine problem? (9) |
| AVALANCHE – H (height) in VALANCE (border of drapery). | |
| 48 | Are resident in home, like family members, often (7) |
| NEAREST – ARE in NEST (home). I wasn’t sure why “often” was needed, but I suppose some family members might not be your nearest and dearest. Maybe our setter has some black sheep in his/her family. | |
| 49 | Likely charge netting pounds to cover a blood relative (8) |
| FEASIBLE -A double inclusion – A SIB (blood relative); in L (pounds) in FEE (charge). | |
| 50 | Sorceress adopting line — one in London? (6) |
| CIRCLE – L (line) in CIRCE (sorceress). A line in London. Nice one. | |
| 53 | Failure nearer, after yielding lead (5) |
| LOSER – {c}LOSER (nearer) without the first letter. | |
| 54 | Discussion topics, say, implementing switch in limits to visitors for wildlife protection zones (12,5) |
| CONSERVATION AREAS – CONVERSATION AREAS (discussion topics, say) swapping the first and last letters [limits] of VisitorS -> CONSERVATION AREAS. | |
| 55 | Large southern area sadly blocking European country (11) |
| AUSTRALASIA – ALAS (sadly) in AUSTRIA (European country). | |
| 56 | Soldiers with tale about irrational gunners getting out of breath (11) |
| RESPIRATORY – RE (Royal Engineers; soldiers), STORY (tale) about PI (irrational number) RA (Royal Artillery; gunners). The “out” in the definition is taking a bit of a liberty, I think, but never mind. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Political advisor upset after party member’s debut in online fora (6,5) |
| SOCIAL MEDIA – SOCIAL (party) and first letter of Member, AIDE (political advisor) [upset] -> EDIA. | |
| 2 | Eighteen letters defending prelude of classical performer (5) |
| ACTOR – First letter, [prelude], of Classical in A TO R (first eighteen letters). | |
| 3 | Assistance for mooring lines pushed through side of ship (7) |
| BOLLARD – LL (lines) in BOARD (side of ship). | |
| 4 | Prosecute comedian over conclusion to joke (4) |
| WAGE – WAG (comedian), [over] last letter of jokE. | |
| 5 | Remorseless boxer, Ali, dancing, keeping mostly fresh (10) |
| INEXORABLE – NE{w} (fresh) [mostly] in (boxer Ali)* [dancing]. | |
| 6 | Castaway genius repurposed coastal rocks (6,8) |
| GIANTS CAUSEWAY – (castaway genius)* [repurposed]. | |
| 7 | Girl working to outlaw foremost activity in rodeo (8) |
| LASSOING – LASS (girl) {d}OING (working) without the first letter. | |
| 8 | Criminal to engage in swordplay (5) |
| FENCE – Double definition. | |
| 9 | A lot of newspaper copy leading to editor’s first decree (9) |
| PRESCRIBE – [A lot of] PRES{s} (newspaper) CRIB (copy) and first letter of Editor. | |
| 10 | Attention was curtailed by problem in hearing? (6) |
| EARWAX – EAR (attention) WA{s} [curtailed] X ((multiplied) by). | |
| 11 | Broadway show using thematic lilt in a new way (1,6,5,5) |
| A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC – (using thematic lift)* [in a new way]. | |
| 12 | Electricity row ensnaring one party representative (11) |
| ELECTIONEER – ELEC (electricity), ONE in TIER (row). | |
| 18 | No magical individual in Hogwarts had finally brought in prohibited items (8) |
| SMUGGLED – MUGGLE (no magical individual) in last letters of HogwartS haD. | |
| 20 | People with an opinion about origin of conflict in mad character in spectacles (10,7) |
| CHATTERING CLASSES – C (about), first letter of Conflict in HATTER (mad character) GLASSES (spectacles). | |
| 22 | Critical comments picked up in A&E, being perceptive (6) |
| ASTUTE – TUTS (critical comments) reversed [picked up] -> STUT in A E. | |
| 24 | A stream running through a second Texan city (8) |
| AMARILLO –A and RILL (stream) in A MO (a second). | |
| 26 | Passion in a lot of football teams means: ‘Shoot!’ (4,4) |
| FIRE AWAY – IRE (passion) in FA (a lot of football teams), WAY (means). | |
| 29 | Underwear I have incorporating left and right leg? I’m missing one (4,4,6) |
| LONG JOHN SILVER – LONG JOHNS (underwear), L (left) in I’VE, R (right). Wicked! That made me laugh. | |
| 32 | Huge number turned up, a number unspecified for delivery worker (8) |
| DAIRYMAN – MYRIAD (a huge number) [turned up] -> DAIRYM, A N (unspecified number). | |
| 33 | Cancels credit offered in regular payments (6) |
| SCRUBS – CR (credit) in SUBS (regular payments). | |
| 34 | China cabal disrupted a historic festivity (11) |
| BACCHANALIA – (china cabal)* [disrupted], A. | |
| 36 | Most of latest styles arranged insipidly (11) |
| TASTELESSLY – (lates{t} styles)* [arranged]. | |
| 37 | Philosopher identified in girl’s account on literature (American) (10) |
| HERACLITUS – HER (girl’s) AC (account) LIT (literature) US (American). Heraclitus was an ancient Greek pre-Socratic philosopher. | |
| 39 | Best to accept new response, all the same (9) |
| IDENTICAL – N (new) TIC (response) in IDEAL (best). | |
| 42 | Hard alcohol’s source: Prohibition Era dance (8) |
| HABANERA – H (hard), first letter of Alcohol, BAN (prohibition) ERA. | |
| 46 | Five line verse scheme including half line for Arabian hero (3,4) |
| ALI BABA – First half of LI{ne} in ABABA (five line verse rhyme scheme). | |
| 47 | Revolutionary period taking head of the old Queen, King and heads of other royals (6) |
| TERROR – First letter of Taking, ER (old queen) R (Rex; king) and first letters of Other Royals. | |
| 49 | Enjoyable days disposing of core reserves? (5) |
| FUNDS – FUN D{ay}S. | |
| 51 | What indicates debt in company? This is what I believe (5) |
| CREDO – RED (what indicates debt) in CO (company). | |
| 52 | Hot and largely scented Indian festival (4) |
| HOLI – H (hot) OLI{d} (scented… and not in a nice way!) [largely]. | |
DNF
NHO SEAM BOWLING. DNK MUGGLE, but it was easy enough to infer what it meant. Tonto wasn’t a cowboy’s sidekick; the Lone Ranger was a former Texas Ranger. (It was never clear what the two of them did for a living.) CODs to LONG JOHN SILVER & LE MORTE DARTHUR.
My pals and I thought he had a silver mine?
I remember trying to fight a battle here some years abo about ‘cowboy’ but having to concede that it has a wider meaning than just a cowhand, and one that’s seemingly accepted on both sides of the pond. Collins has: a conventional character of Wild West folklore, films, etc. Webster’s has: US – a conventionalized character in novels, motion pictures, etc., typically an adventurous Westerner who rides horseback and carries pistols.
I wouldn’t know about now, but in my childhood all Westerns were commonly referred to as ‘cowboy films’ and children played ‘Cowboys and Indians’.
I expect to post more about the puzzle later when I’ve found my print-out.
Found it now. As usual I’m moaning about an obscure foreign expression clued as an anagram (13ac).
I’m sure we’ve had MUGGLE as a non-wizard very recently in another clue invoking the Harry Potter books but I’ve been unable to find it in the archive. I remember it because I’d never heard the expression before.
‘Response / TIC’ in IDENTICAL seems a bit of a stretch.
LE MORTE D’ARTHUR had been so simple to biff I gave up on the wordplay when it didn’t come easily. Ditto DAIRYMAN
I didn’t understand ‘revolutionary period / TERROR’ when solving but I suppose ‘reign of terror’ has it covered.
Apart from needing aids for my bête noire at 13ac I didn’t find it hard to fill the grid but some of the wordplay beat me on the day and several answers or bits of them went in with a shrug.
One man’s GK is another etc., but CATALOGUE RAISONNEE has been in English since the late 18th century; ODE doesn’t mark it as French; and of course the clinching argument, I knew it.
Interesting one. I confess I checked my answer at 52dn because I wasn’t 100% sure about either the festival or the word for stinky. I had to write the letters out to get CATALOGUE RAISONNE but I thought the clue was fair: CATALOGUE was deducible from the definition and then there wasn’t really anywhere else to put the anagrist. I was held up a bit at the end by not knowing how to spell MESSIAEN.
According to Chambers, TIC is not the same as ‘tick’ and I don’t think I’ve ever seen it used in that sense.
The meaning of TIC in 39D is as in definition 2 in my online version of Chambers…
An involuntary habitual response