Times Jumbo 1025 (9 Mar 2013)

Author   daveperryPosted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
Solving time: About an hour and three quarters offline.

I quite enjoyed this one, although sometimes I find these jumbos a bit of a slog. I still don’t understand 47a, so I would appreciate an explanation to that from someone. I thought 17a & 49a were both quite good, but I’ll give that my COD to 34d which made me chuckle.

cd = cryptic def., dd = double def., rev = reversal, homophones are written in quotes, anagrams as (–)*, and removals like this

Across
1 HAMSTRUNG = HAMSTeR + (GUN)*
6 SECOND + READING
13 NURSE – dd
14 DRAMA CRITIC – cd
15 R(ILK)E – Rainer Maria Rilke was an early 20th century Austrian poet
16 COUNTER + PANE
17 SILVERSIDES = SILVER’S IDES – The Ides of a month in the Roman calendar marked the approximate middle of the month. While not generally considered fatal, they were to Julius Caesar (according to Shakespeare anyway). Long John Silver was, of course, R.L. Stevenson’s pirate in Treasure Island. Silversides are fish, and the ‘not much of a’ in the clue refers to their small size and not their swimming ability.
18 ABEYANT = A + BENT about YeAr
20 AT FIRST = AT (close to) + FIRS (trees) + ouT
21 T + RIPS UP
23 WIND IN THE WILLOWS – dd – A fairly vague cryptic definition, but I got it quickly, mainly from the enumeration
27 CHIc
28 DETAIL – dd
29 AU FAIT = “OH FAY”
31 BEANFEAST – cd
34 TWO-BY-FOUR – cd
35 THRALL = THeRe + ALL – although I can’t see what purpose ‘state’ is serving, other than improving the surface
36 ATRIUM = A TRIUMPH with the PorcH removed
39 NYE = “NIGH” – Nye Bevan was a Welsh post-war MP, but Nye was only a nickname – his real name was Aneurin. I was expecting a traditional Welsh name here, rather than a reference to specific person. This was my LOI and I had to look up whether it was spelt NIE or NYE as it could easily have been either. A weak clue I thought.
40 GENTLEMAN’S AGREEMENT = (ENGAGEMENT TERMS + ELAN)*
42 INTENSE = IN TENS (decimal) + E (point)
43 CUT-OFF + S
45 WASTAGE = WE (our group) abourt A + STAG
47 ENCHANTMENT – I’m afraid I don’t get the ‘further away’ reference. Can anyone enlighten me?
49 hAIRBRUSHING
51 BASER = SeEn in BAR
52 NIP IN THE BUD = (I + PUB THINNED)*
53 IDAHO = O HAD I all rev
54 WHEELER DEALER – dd
55 PRESS HOME – dd – although at first I though ‘main’ was a sea reference so I had PRESS GANG, but I quickly realised the wordplay didn’t work.
Down
1 HAND(CRAFT)ED
2 MARQUEE = RAM rev + “KEY”
3 TWEE + shorT
4 UNDERSTUDY – cd
5 GR + cANADA
6 STATE OF THE ART – dd
7 CORK + S + CREW
8 NOTELET = TELEThON rev
9 RE(CREATION)AL
10 ACROSTICS = “A + CROSS + TICKS”
11 IDLED – dd
12 GREASEPAINT = (PAGEANTRIES)*
19 ABILITY – a synonym of CAPABILITY
22 SOCIALITE = SOCIALIsT + sequencE
24 EXTROVERT = EXTRa + VERT about O
25 NEUTRAL = “NEW” + TRiAL
26 LOBELIA = OBELI in LA – An obelus is a † symbol, otherwise known as a dagger.
30 TAR-AND-FEATHER = (A TART + FREE HAND)*
32 FETTE(R)S – Fettes is an independent school in Ediunburgh. Tony Blair went there.
33 COUNTERTENOR = COUNTER + “TENNER”
34 TENNIS ELBOW – cd – ‘Army’ meaning ‘of the arm’. A beautifully disguised cryptic def, and my COD.
37 MOTHER GOOSE = (GOETHE’S ROOM)*
38 DRAW + BRIDGE – ‘It’s up to one’s opponents’ is the definition. Very good.
40 GUN BARREL – cd
41 MATUTINAL = MAIN + AL about TUTu – not a word I knew, but I worked it out from the wordplay.
43 Coin + HEAP + IE
44 SCRUB UP = SCRUm + PUB rev
46 AGITATO – hidden
48 CAST + namE
50 SLIPS – dd

6 comments on “Times Jumbo 1025 (9 Mar 2013)”

  1. I’m guessing that this is a reference to the quote “Distance lends enchantment to the view” from a work by the Scottish poet Thomas Campbell, which was later used by Mark Twain.
  2. Yes, if you google “distance lends enchantment” Dave, all becomes clear..

    I had trouble parsing that, and also 22dn, but got there in the end..

  3. I, too, wondered about ENCHANTMENT, but the checkers led that way, and I thought it might have to do with absence making the heart grow fonder or something. LOI was 50d, after going through probably every other possibility (swigs, skits,…); it only occurred to me much later that ‘slip’ was a cricket term of some sort. I’m afraid I still don’t get 14ac; I assumed that ‘guest of HM’ meant prisoner, but how this leads to DRAMA CRITIC is beyond me. Liked AU FAIT, ABEYANT, HAMSTRUNG, IDAHO among others.
      1. For this relief, much thanks. That possibility had actually flitted into consciousness briefly but went the way of most things that flit into my consciousness.

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