I actually had two wrong, but one of those was just a typo when I filled it in online – I had it correct on my printed copy, so I don’t count that. I had to wait for the solution to come out to find out what it was. It turned out to be 2d where I had BRAININESS instead of BRAWNINESS, thinking mental strength instead of the physical kind. The only letter that didn’t fit was the one that was wrong, but I never thought there might be an alternative, I just thought that there was a mistake in the clue. I probably should have known better.
That aside, I thought this was a pretty good Jumbo with quite a lot of clever and involved wordplay, although I have a big question mark against 38d. I started quite quickly, but slowed down towards the end, and the last half-dozen or so seemed to take an age, particularly my LOI 52d.
cd = cryptic def., dd = double def., rev = reversal, homophones are written in quotes, anagrams as (–)*, and removals like this
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | S(AB)OT + AGED |
| 6 | C + LOVE + HIT + CH |
| 12 | NEON + ATE |
| 13 | OB + ST(IN)ATE |
| 14 | S + AMOS |
| 16 | REMUNERATION = (TRAINEE MOURN)* |
| 17 | PILGRIMAGE = LIP rev + GRIM + AGE |
| 19 | DOG IN THE MANGER – cd – a setter being a breed of dog |
| 22 | BALLISTA = (ALL + IS) in (B + TA) |
| 24 | EGRESS = OGRESS with the initial letter changed |
| 25 | G(LASS)HOU |
| 26 | TEPID = DI + PET all rev – A reference to the slogan of the Dogs Trust charity – A dog is for life, not just for Christmas’. |
| 29 | TUBA = ABUT rev |
| 30 | L(A)UNCHER |
| 32 | RATION ALE |
| 34 | SALT MARSH = (HALTS RAMS)* |
| 35 | CREOSOTE = CRETE about |
| 36 | BETH – dd – The second letter of the Hebrew alphabet |
| 39 |
|
| 40 | ILL-DEFINED – dd |
| 42 | POP ART – dd |
| 44 | C + LEAV(A + G)E |
| 46 | ADVENT CALENDAR = AD + VENT + (CANDLE)* + A + |
| 48 | S(TEAM)CH + EST |
| 49 | F + AIN’T HE A + R + TED |
| 53 | S(CI)ON – CI for Channel Islands |
| 54 | COLERIDGE = COL + RIDGE (two mountain features) about E |
| 55 | RET(R)AIN |
| 56 | MESSENGERS = MESS + ENGELS with L changed to R |
| 57 | RES |
| Down | |
| 1 | STORM = M + ROTS all rev |
| 2 | BRAWNINESS – (W + NINE) all in BRASS. I went wrong here, putting BRAININESS, and thinking that there was a mistake in the clue. I thought perhaps it should have read ‘…with one number installed in section…’ instead of ‘…with number installed in one section…’. |
| 3 | THE(ARCH)Y |
| 4 | G + HOST |
| 5 | DISCOUNTS – dd |
| 6 | CO(I)N |
| 7 | OXALIS = OS about (I + LAX) rev |
| 8 | EVER + GLAD + ESTATE |
| 9 | IN + ST(ILL)ATION |
| 10 | COMPASS = COMPASSION with (I + ON) removed |
| 11 | INGREDIENT = (DINER E |
| 15 | SKEDADDLE = KED (fly) in the SADDLE |
| 18 | RE + CHARGE |
| 20 | G(A + RIBALD)I |
| 21 | MELANCHOLY = “MELON” + “CAULI” |
| 23 | PUT + RES(C)ENT |
| 27 | PLACE CARD – cd |
| 28 | CARRYING THE CAN – dd |
| 31 | HACIENDA = (ENCHI |
| 33 | IMPROVEMENTS = I + MP + (VOTERS)* about MEN |
| 34 | SHOW CASES – dd |
| 37 | HETERODYNE = (THEY’RE DONE)* |
| 38 | FORECASTLE – FORECAST is ‘to provide weather prediction’ but I don’t see how LE is sailor. Am I missing something? |
| 41 | ICE LANDER – dd |
| 43 | GATH + ER/ER |
| 45 | ERE + MITE |
| 47 | IS + OLDE (an old way of saying old) |
| 50 | NE + EDS |
| 51 | T(R |
| 52 | EROS = SORE rev – This was a meaning of Eros from Freudian theory that I wasn’t previously aware of. |
I was very unsure about BETH. I put it in on the basis of “woman”, with a feeling there must be something better.