Solving time: 44 minutes exactly.
I’m not sure what my Jumbo record was before, but it was certainly over an hour. I completed this one in my lunch hour at work and still had time left at the end to start writing the blog. Either I was right on the setter’s wavelength from the word go, or it was a particularly easy one, or (more likely) both.
There was nothing difficult in here, so it’s tricky to award a COD. I quite liked the surface in 27d, but I’ll give it to 3d for its succinct wordplay – the cryptic wordplay was actually shorter than the solution!
cd = cryptic def., dd = double def., rev = reversal, homophones are written in quotes, anagrams as (–)*, and removals like this
| 1 | CASH COW = C + (A + SHOW) about C |
| 5 | F(RAG)RANCE |
| 10 | OGPU = UP (on horseback) + GO (turn) all rev – Russian secret police. Not a word I knew, but easy enough from the checkers and wordplay. My LOI, and I confess I did double-check it in on Wikipedia before submission as it seemed such an unlikely word. |
| 14 | UNADULTERATED – dd – although the two definitions are fairly synonymous. |
| 15 | WORDS (angry talk) + MIT (with German) + H |
| 16 | CHATTER + TO + N – Thomas Chatterton was the 18th Century poet who committed suicide at the age of just 17. |
| 17 | RANGEFINDER = ( |
| 18 |
|
| 19 | SPORTS + COAT |
| 21 | TH(RE)AT |
| 23 | THEME SONG = (SEGNO)* after THEM |
| 25 | L + LAMA |
| 26 | LA(SAG)NE |
| 28 | NATIONAL + TRUST |
| 31 | NAME NAMES = (MEAN)* + NAMES |
| 33 | EX + POUNDED |
| 35 | NORTH TO ALASKA = (NOAH’S ARK TOTAL)* – John Wayne movie from 1960. Not one I knew, but I got it early from the anagram nonetheless. |
| 37 | MA + STIFF |
| 38 | SPRAT = SPAT about R |
| 40 | RELAPSING = RING about (S + PALE) rev |
| 42 | NOT |
| 44 | PANELLISTS = PANEL (console) + “LISZT” + |
| 46 |
|
| 48 | CH + O + IR + MASTER |
| 50 | PROMO + N + TORY |
| 52 | PEPPERONI = I after (PEPPER + ON) |
| 53 | WOO + L + GATHERING |
| 54 | L + ARK |
| 55 | TIGERS + EYE |
| 56 | NO ENTRY = TRY after NEON rev |
| Down | |
|---|---|
| 1 | CHUM |
| 2 | SEA CHANGE = (AGNES)* about EACH |
| 3 | COUNTER (bar) + REVOLUTION (turn) + ARIES (sign) |
| 4 | WITHERS – dd |
| 5 | FORETHOUGHT = E |
| 6 | ANT + ENA + TAL |
| 7 | RID + ER |
| 8 | NOW AND AGAIN = NO + GAIN about WAND (staff) + A |
| 9 | E(ARNE)D – If I had a pound for every time I’d come across the composer of Rule, Britannia! in a crossword, I’d have, … well, … lots of pounds. |
| 11 | G + RIDDLE |
| 12 | USHERETTE – cd |
| 13 | AS HIGH AS AN ELEPHANT’S EYE – A reference to Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, and a line from the opening number – Oh, What a Beautiful Morning |
| 18 | IN + TENSE |
| 20 | CHAPTER – weak dd |
| 22 | PLIMSOLL – dd – Pump (as in gym shoe) / social reformer (Samuel Plimsoll, who introduced the Plimsoll Line on ships to indicate a safe loading level) |
| 24 | ON AND OFF – dd – the on-side (or leg-side) and off-side being the two sides of the pitche in cricket, being behind and in front of the batsman respectively as he stands at the wicket. |
| 27 | GAME (prepared) + S – A neat surface |
| 29 | TAP(A)S |
| 30 | UN + NERVE |
| 32 | STAGGER |
| 34 | DISMANTLING = (DAMNING LIST)* |
| 36 | HORNS + WOGGLE – A woggle being that plastic ring that Scouts and Guides use to fasten their scarves with |
| 37 | MUNICIPAL = (CIA IN PLUM)* |
| 39 | TELEPHONE = (HELP TEEN + O)* |
| 41 | INTERDICT = DICT (concise dictionary) after INTER (Bury) |
| 43 | TROOPER = REPORT rev about O |
| 45 | SHORTEN = (OTHERS)* + N |
| 47 | WAY-OUT – dd |
| 49 | ROW + E + R |
| 51 | UGLY = (GUY)* about L |
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