Times Jumbo 846 – Sat 5 December 2009

Very enjoyable puzzle, completed in very unCheltenhamlike conditions in about 2 hours. Pleased to have solved it all without looking at dicts, getting words that I was not familiar with from the wordplay given, later verifying everything for this blog.

* = anagram < = reversed

ACROSS
1 DESERT Double definition, Death Valley (US) is an example of a desert.
4 BAG OF BONES Bones, an informal name for a doctor so ‘case’ = bag. Means a very lean person.
10 BASH O One of the new words for me, got from wordplay.
14 CROSSWORT crossword with t for d (ie finally changed)
15 PRIVA (T I’S) TION
16 TUSSORE E RO (SS) UT all<
17 HARNESS hardness less d (first letter of dithering)
18 FLICK ER
19 LOOK AFTER NUMBER ONE (none of troublemaker)*
21 SNUB buns<
24 N E PAL (china = mate from rhyming slang)
26 A (T A) PINCH pinch = nick (steal)
27 GRAN DEUR rued<
29 FORTNIGHTLY “fought knightly”
30 EXASPERATED (X desperate)*
32 F(l)OR IN STANCE l = pound definition: say
35 FELL (dropped) – RUNNING (in a row ie in succession)
37 I’M POSTER
39 P SAL MO(o)DY
40 ENDOW hidden
43 SEAL Double definition with clue splitting at swimming/close
44 JUMP ON (Attack) THE BAN (old Greek) D (WAG) ON Don = fellow wag = wit
47 SP (ECI)AL ice in laps all<
48 S (first letter) KILLED
50 B (EG G)ARS
51 CZECH “Check” RE PUBLIC
52 MESCAL IN E (camels)*
53 O (N T) AP
54 TEE (support for driver, golf) NY W E E NY NY = city (New York) w = with e = drug
55 PLAN(E)T middle (letter) of field
DOWN
1 DECATHLON (The old can)* An event comprising ten separate events
2 SHOW-S TOPPER
3 ROSE O L A (first letters)
5 AIT CH
6 OP PORT UNITY unity = concert This was my favourite clue
7 BE (IDERBECK) E(r) (bickered)* V pleased to work this out having not heard of this famous jazzman from the 1920s
8 NO(A)H S ARK A = close to Cuba (last letter) NOH = drama SARK = island
9 STIFFENER (Fifteen rs)* first and last letters of ‘rhizomes’
10 BE AT IT!
11 STICK (stomach) INS(p)ECT
12 O(W)NER
13 HOME (in) STRAIGHT (clearly)
20 RO A STING OR<
22 BIRD (time) DOG (trouble) US – a dog that retrieves shot birds
23 ENTRANCE Double definition
25 LE (NI NIS)T (sin in)<
28 NA (1 L BOM)B mob l 1 in ban = bar all<
29 F (IF)TIES which would be a good innings in cricket
31 PORGY AND BESS (song praised by)* less i This was very good.
33 REPLACEMENT (temp cleaner)*
34 ESSEN T(I)ALLY
35 FILTHY LUCRE (te rich fully)* an excellent &lit
36 I N DIG NATION
38 E (BULL) IE NT
41 WIN(D)S WEPT
42 OPUSCULE U in (close-up)*
45 WAG TAIL My last entry. definition: singer (songbird) brush = tail with comedian (wag) over
46 BISH O P (first letters) chessman
47 SIC KO
49 DEMO N

2 comments on “Times Jumbo 846 – Sat 5 December 2009”

Thanks for the very full analysis: for reasons I can’t understand having seen the answers, I never got going properly with this. Saturdays are about the only day I get the time and inclination to try the Times and I then I pick away at it if I get the time (and inclination!). Need to do a bit more a bit more often to get into the whole swing of cryptics! This site helps loads as there is nothing worse than looking at an answer and being little wiser (other than the specific definition) as to how it is built up from the cryptic clue.

45 WAG TAIL My last entry.

Right there with you.

Comments are closed.