Times Jumbo 1115 (18 Oct 2014)

Solving time: Probably about 3 hours all told, but I wasn’t really concentrating a lot of the time.

I found this one quite hard going, and I didn’t really get on the setter’s wavelength throughout. There were some good clues amongst this lot. I particularly like the anagrams at 18a and 3d, but my COD goes to 43a.

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

1 DORIC – initials of Dialect Of Residents In Corinth – &lit
4 CARIB + OUt
8 OVERSLEEP = (RESOLVE)* + PE rev
13 MERRIMENT = MIME about ERR + NoT (not cutting disc)
14 ADVENTURESOME = ADVENT + SOME about URE
15 GENETIC = GEN + CITE rev
16 OBSERVE = (VERBOSE)*
17 TRAPEZE = “EASE” after TRAP (gin)
18 EDWARD THE CONFESSOR = (SECOND-RATE SERF WHO’D)*
21 FAST – becomes FAT without the S
23 IRON + HORSE
25 NEEDlED
26 REVERiE
28 ELGIN MARBLES = (LEG)* + IN + RAMBLES with the RAM rev
30 MALE VOLE + NesT
33 HETERODOXY = HEaTER + DOXY (lover once) about O
34 BANTAMWEIGHT = (A + N + TAM + WE) all in BIGHT
37 NAIADS = NAIf + lADS
39 CORYZA – rev hidden
40 SUNDOWNER = R after (S + UNDO + WiNE)
42 IONA – hidden
43 HANDLE + BARM + OUST + ACHE
46 A PRIORI = (OR + I) all after APR I
47 P + ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts) + S + SO
48 EXORDIA = EX + (RADIO)*
50 PEOPLE (inhabit) + CARRIER (Barrow, perhaps)
51 INTELLECT = IN + TELL + T about EC (City)
52 DATEPALMS = DATE + (ALMS after P)
53 THIAMIN = I in HAM in TIN
54 DEMUR = RUM + ED all rev – although I don’t know what the ‘prefer to “in backing”’ is doing there.
Down
1 DEMAGNETISE = (DISAGrEEMENT)*
2 R(ER)UN
3 CHILTERN HUNDREDS = (SEND HURT CHILDREN)*
4 CREW CUT = CUT after CREW
5 RETROCEDE = O + “SEED” after RETRy
6 BRAS + S + FOUNDER
7 UNVERIFIED = VERy in UNIFIED
8 denOUNCE
9 ERUPTION = PURE rev + (ON IT)*
10 SEES + A + W
11 EXONERATE = ER + ATE after EXON (yeoman officer)
12 PRE-SENTiMENT
19 W + R + OUGHT
20 STE(WAR)T
22 REMOTE + CON + TROLLED
24 R, W AND A – what’s left after three letters are removed from NORWAY
27 V + ERMINe
29 BOX + WOOD
31 EU + GEN + I + C
32 CARAVANSERAI = (ARISE)* after CARAVAN
33 H AND I + CAPPED
35 THREE-MASTER = HR in TEE + MASTER
36 TYPESCRIPT – ‘printed copy’ would be the definition, but I don’t get how the wordplay works.
38 INNERMOST = INN + MOST all about bEeR
40 SYMPOSIUM = MU + I + SOP + MY + drinkS all rev – semi-&lit
41 MANIACAL = MAN + AI (cracking) rev + CALl
44 UNEATEN = UNBEATEN with the daB removed
45 ROLL-UP – dd
47 PARIS = PARTS with the top stroke of the T removed to make I
49 D(RE)AM

7 comments on “Times Jumbo 1115 (18 Oct 2014)”

  1. 39 mins. The EXONERATE/FAST crossers were my last ones in, mainly because I don’t remember having come across EXON before so I had to trust that I had the right definition. RETROCEDE and CORYZA were both solved from wordplay alone.
  2. Lost track of the time, as I usually do with Jumbos. DNK EXON, so like Andy–just much later–trusted that I had the definition. Ditto for CORYZA. 52ac slowed me down some, as DATEPALM for me is 2 words (this happens rather often).
  3. Filled that from definition,never heard of doxy,google says sweetheart.A 4HR solve for me.Thanks Dave for blogging.
    C.ONG’ARA,
    NAIROBI.
  4. Catching up on these after being away on holiday. I assumed that the ‘prefer to “in backing”‘ in 54A was a(nother) editorial comment that was accidentally left in, and the wordplay for 36D is TYPE (Stamp) + SCRIP (stocks and shares) + T (top of the).
  5. I don’t get the wordplay in 19d ‘Beaten wife’s given resistance to nothing in the past’. Has the setter confused OUGHT with AUGHT? And AUGHT means anything rather than nothing. Or am I missing the point?
      1. Thanks for the clarification. My Chambers lists ‘ought’ as a variant of ‘aught’. It also notes that it can be used for ‘naught’ but that usage is an illiterate corruption. So, apparently, it means both anything and nothing. I stand corrected.

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