Times Jumbo 1070 (28 Dec 2013)

Author   daveperryPosted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
Solving time: 1:45

A decent jumbo with some good wordplay, although I still don’t understand 39a. There were a few words I didn’t know – MARTINU, COVENANTER, OGEN & HEGEMONIC, and a couple I didn’t know in the context they were used – TONGA & COMMONER.

I’ll give my COD to 41d, I think, for its cleverly disguised definition, although it wasn’t particularly difficult to solve.

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

1 HEAD OVER HEELS = HEAD OVER (Come to me) + HEELS (leans over)
8 INDIC(A)TED
13 GI + ANT
14 GOLD + SMITH
15 SEMINAR – This seems to be SEMI (half) + houR about AN (article) rev, although I was confused by the ‘an’ in ‘half an hour’ which looks like it should be contributing to the wordplay, but actually isn’t.
16 MARTIN(L)U + THE + baR – Bohuslav Martinů was the Czech composer
17 STRADIVARI = (I + V) after TRAD all in SARI
18 NUMPTY – rhymes with HUMPTY/DUMPTY – not the best of clues, but not particularly difficult either.
19 M(A + LAW + I)AN
21 PSYCHO = CHOp after (SPY)* – ‘film’ is the definition
24 COVENANTER = (CANNOT EVER)* – The Covenanters were a 17th century Scottish Presbyterian movement.
26 CAME INTO PLAY – dd
29 BARK – triple def: bark of a dog / bark of a tree / bark one’s shin
30 FEEL-GOOD = FEE + O in (GOLD)*
31 SUP + ERE + GO
34 ICE + CREAM
35 LAUREATE = “LORRY” + ATE
36 OGEN – I assume this is O GEN as in zero information (information lacking), with ‘origin of fruit’ as the definition. The Ogen melon was apparently named after the Israeli kibbutz where it was first developed. This was a guess from me at the time as I’d never heard of the melon or the kibbutz
39 GO OFF THE BOIL – ‘Lose interest’ is presumably the definition, but I don’t understand the relevance of the ‘certain gathering’
40 IN BUSINESS – dd/cd
43 ORMOLU = (ROOM)* + “LOO”
44 SEA’S HELL
45 GEISHA – hidden
49 SOFT OPTION = T moving in SOFT-TOP (convertible) + (NO I) rev
51 NITROUS OXIDE = (OUR EDITIONS)* about X
53 GAR + AGED
54 IRON CROSS = CROSS (religious symbol) after IRON (club – golf)
55 INDIE = INDIA with the last letter replaced by E (energy)
56 S(WEAR)WORD
57 OVERSTATEMENT = (ON TV SEE MATTER)*
Down
1 HEGEMONIC = (ECHOING ME)*
2 ANAGRAM = RAM after A NAG
3 OU(TWIT)TING
4 ENGELS = GEL (set) in E/N/S (two points and another)
5 HALF-TIMBERED = HALF-TIME about B + RED
6 EASTERLY = EASTER + Y about L
7 SNIP = PINS rev
8 IN HOT WATER – dd
9 DISMAL = DI + SMALl
10 COMMISSIONER = IS reflected (doubled over), so ISSI in COMMONER, A commoner being ‘a student at a university or other institution who is not on a scholarship’ – not a definition I was aware of.
11 TONG + A – Nothing to do with the South Sea islands. This is a variant spelling of TANGA, a two-wheeled, horse-drawn carriage from the Indian subcontinent
12 DORMITORY TOWN – cd
20 WEA(P + ON)RY
22 COLLiE + AGUE
23 IN A FLASH – dd
25 VERSE FORM – hidden
27 NAUSEOUS = (A + USE) in NOUS (mind)
28 IGNATIUS = (IT USING A)*
29 BRIDGE OF SIGHS = “BRIDGE OF SIZE”
32 ARTFUL DODGER = ARTFUL (clever) + DOER (actor) about DG (Director-General, head of BBC)
33 VAINGLORIOUS = VA(I)N + GLORIOUS
37 ABLE-BODIED = (IDEA LOBBED)*
38 NINE-TO-FIVE – dd
41 STAGE + LEFT – ‘right to the house’ was a particularly good and well-hidden definition, I thought.
42 MEDIOCRE = O in MEDICARE with the asthmA removed
46 SPINDLE = (SPLENDId)*
47 STUD + IO
48 RUSSIA = AIR rev about USSr
50 FURZE = “FURS” / “FIRS”
52 SO LOw

2 comments on “Times Jumbo 1070 (28 Dec 2013)”

  1. Hi Dave.. re 39ac, a gathering is a synonym for a boil. Collins: the formation of pus in a boil; the pus so formed.

    I was OK with the vocab in this jumbo.. even Sainsburys have Ogen melons.. except for Martinu who was new to me, as are most minor composers

  2. 19ac:
    From statesman a decree, one accepted by chap (8)
    MALAWIAN
    How do we get from “From statesman” to MALAWIAN? Are we supposed to construe “statesman” as “a person from a country”? But perhaps I am missing something…

    46dn:
    Almost splendid mess? This could be with knobs on (7)
    SPINDLE
    A certain kind of spindle might, perhaps, have a knob on it. However, what spindle has knobs on?
    But perhaps I am missing something…

    —
    Clive Tooth

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