30:41, so round about my average for a Jumbo. A very fair and enjoyable puzzle. There were several unknown (to me) words or phrases but the setter used wordplay which meant that all the answers were gettable, so no quibbles whatsoever from me.
After what seems like about 6 months, but in reality is around 3½ years, I’ve decided that this is to be my last Jumbo blog. I’d like to offer my thanks to Peter B and Andy W for giving me the opportunity to vent my spleen every 5 weeks, and to all commenters and readers of my inane ramblings over the years. I’d especially like to thank the setters for giving me hours, weeks and months of absolute pleasure.
As a final note, inspired by meeting Tony Sever at this year’s championships, I’ve finally read (and enjoyed) one of Shakespeare’s offerings, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Imagine my disgust at there not being a single Shakespeare reference in this puzzle!.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | WHISTLE-STOP – LEST OP (in case surgery) after WHIST |
| 7 | MARCHIONESS – ON E SS (aboard European vessel) after MARCH 1 (St David’s Day) |
| 13 | MOONRAKER – Spooner’s RUNE MAKER |
| 14 | ADDENDA – DEN (study) inside AD and DA (retired and working attorneys). I can see that AD is a retired (reversed) DA but can’t really see how “working” means “right way round”. |
| 15 | CHARM – CHA RM (tea room). |
| 16 | AMELIA – ELIA after A M (married). Elia is the alias of Charles Lamb and a crossword favourite |
| 17 | INTERNAL – INFERNAL with F (female) replace by T (time). Care must always be taken with these kinds of clue to ensure that the correct substitution is made. |
| 18 | DEPLORE – E (English) PL (place) in DORÉ. Charles Gustave Doré was a French artist, engraver, illustrator and sculptor. |
| 20 | BREAD AND BUTTER LETTER – cryptic definition hinging on the mistake/loaf of bread interchangeability of “bloomer”. Coincidentally, I’d struggled with this phrase only a couple of days previously when solving a puzzle from an old book of jumbos. This time it went in immediately. It’s a thank you note to someone who has provided you with hospitality |
| 23 | LEGLESS – two meanings, one using the rather old fashioned meaning of drunk, “lit up” |
| 24 | SEAWEED – AWE in SEED (children) |
| 26 | SCOFFER – two meanings, one referring to Billy Bunter who scoffs a lot of food. |
| 28 | GOTH – GOT + H[arrow]. A Goth here isn’t the old East Germanic tribe but one of those rather pale youthful people dressed mainly in black who enjoy music by bands such as Alien Sex Fiend, Theatre of Hate and the cheerfully named Christian Death. |
| 29 | OVERHAUL – two meanings, although I wasn’t aware of the overtaking one. |
| 32 | CELLARAGE – A inside CELL RAGE (aggressive behaviour in jail) |
| 35 | TRIER,ARCH – Trier is the oldest city in Germany |
| 36 | DEADLINE – DEAD (boring) + LINE (band) |
| 37 | SHOE – two meanings |
| 39 | REDRESS – RE (soldiers) + DRESS (line up) |
| 41 | UPLANDS – U (posh) then PLANS around D (duke) |
| 44 | SPORRAN – O(old) RR (bishop – Right Reverend) in S(small) PAN |
| 45 | IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT – two meanings, one whimsical |
| 49 | TRIVIAL – T (time) then RIVAL aound I (island) |
| 50 | BRAINBOX – BRA (supporter) IN BOX (fight). It only seems to have been around for a relatively short period but BRA for supporter has already become chestnutty |
| 51 | UNUSED – two meanings |
| 53 | ILIAD – included in canDA I LIked reversed |
| 54 | INSIGHT – S (son) in I (current) + NIGHT |
| 55 | MINCEMEAT – (TAME MICE + N)* |
| 56 | MELANCHOLIC – sounds like MELON COLIC |
| 57 | CONSECRATOR – RA (artist) in CON (tory) SECTOR (part of town |
| Down | |
| 1 | WOMBAT – MB (medic) in W (with) OAT (grass). |
| 2 | IN ONE’S RIGHT MIND – a nicely constructed phrase using alternate meanings for each word, “Popular individual’s true intention” |
| 3 | TERMINATED – [aghast]T then AT in ERMINED |
| 4 | ELKS – EL (the in Spanish)K(king) S[hot] |
| 5 | THRENODES – THREES (small groups) around NOD (biblical land where Cain fled after murdering Abel). I’ve only ever known the land of nod as a euphemism for sleep. Perhaps that’s another book I ought to get round to reading. |
| 6 | PLATEAU – PATÉ around L[ondoners] the AU (to the (in) French). |
| 7 | MIDINETTE – M1 DINETTE (motorway eating-area) |
| 8 | RENAL – [compositio]N in REAL |
| 9 | HEADDRESS – HE + ADDRESS. I’ve found address meaning skill in the dictionaries, but it’s a new one on me. |
| 10 | OCCUPATIONAL – CUP (award) inside (A TOOL I CAN)* |
| 11 | ENAMOUR – E (English) then O (love – zero in tennis) in NAMUR (a province of Wallonia in Belgium) |
| 12 | SIMMER – SLIMMER loses L (pound) |
| 19 | PASS,OVER |
| 21 | RADICAL – RA (gunmen – Royal Artillery) then LA CID (city detectives) reversed |
| 22 | TREE FERN – TERN around REEF |
| 23 | LIGATURE – (GLUE RITA)* |
| 25 | AWARD – W[ilde] in AA (rescuers) on RD (road). Oscar Wilde must be lifted and separated to give the Oscar as an example of an award. |
| 27 | FEATHER ONE’S NEST – two meanings, one cryptic requiring “down” to mean feathers |
| 30 | REHOUSE – HER reversed then OUSE (river) |
| 31 | LEARN – R[hymes] in LEAN (list) |
| 33 | LONESOME – L (liberal) then ONE’S ‘OME (person’s house in Bow) |
| 34 | PRIEST RIDDEN – PRE-STRIDDEN (walked ahead, just about!) around I. Another unheard-of phrase |
| 38 | COMMANDEER – sounds like “COMMON DEER) |
| 40 | SHELLFISH – SHE’LL + FISH (plate) a fishplate is a strip of metal used to join two pieces of a rail track together, both in the model and real worlds. |
| 42 | LETHARGIC – (TEACH GIRL)* |
| 43 | SCHOOLMAN – H[onoured] in S (south) + COOL, MAN! (ace, pal!) |
| 45 | INITIAL – I + I[incribe] interspersed in (LATIN)* |
| 46 | FANATIC – FAN (device that cools) + “ATTIC” |
| 47 | ATRIUM – A TRIM (decoration) around U (university) |
| 48 | EDITOR – R O TIDE (right old time) reversed |
| 50 | BASIL – BASILDON (town in Essex) with its DON |
| 52 | ANTE – DANTE loses his head |
…and that’s it. Thank you.
56ac (MELANCHOLIC) reminded me of singing “Life is but a melancholy flower” to the tune of Frère Jacques (using the same structure of repeated phrases).
I’m truly delighted that you enjoyed reading A Midsummer Night’s Dream – particularly as you might enjoy seeing a good production of it on stage even more. (I remember seeing a lovely one by the RSC at The Barbican a few years ago. A few? Oh dear! Probably about 25.) Perhaps you might try Much Ado About Nothing or Twelfth Night next (I don’t think I’ve ever failed to enjoy a performance of the latter). Avoid Titus Andronicus unless you’ve a strong stomach.
I’ve enjoyed your entertaining blogging of Jumbos and am sorry that you’re giving up. You’ll be a hard act to follow.
The solving pattern was very typical of Jumbos for me: whizzing through most of it then getting stuck on a few at the end, although I can’t actually remember which ones they were now.
Several unknowns, so thanks for the (final) blog.
I’ll put up an announcement about the identity of your replacement on the publication date of the next one you would have blogged (i.e. Jumbo 954).
U=POSH
RA=ARTIST
BAND=LINE
U for posh is an old crossword chestnut and dates back to when people were considered to be U or non-U, where U stood for “upper class”
RA for artist is another old favourite and refers to a member of the Royal Academy, an art institution in London
I just saw a band being something drawn around something which could, I suppose, equate to being a line. There may be better explanations
Pho 75 — With locations in Northern Virginia and Maryland , it’s known by many local Vietnamese as the most authentic place to find pho (pronounced fuh) in the DC area.
There he continues to turn heads with his incredibly successful collections..
de la Renta is far more a hot dog than an 茅minence grise of American fashion.
De plus les douanes sont tr猫s actives : elles sont capables de vous faire lever les bras bien haut pour voir le jean que vous portez ou bien la ceinture.
I have one female friend who dumped a boyfriend after five days because he treated her like that.
Thank you, Perez Hilton, for breaking our hearts with this information, but all the best in love and romantic sunsets to you, Michelle Rodriguez and Aleksandra Rastovic..
People worldwide admire the Parisian women’s sense of fashion.
Due to the fact steps during the best position to determine the pricing of the items in this manner that they could make profit while make certain their will plug spending leaks on their purchase specially when referring to designer and branded clothing.
The ingredient list is short and starts with a whole grain (whole wheat meal), plus it contains various other whole grains, including quinoa, millet, kamut and barley.
Middleton’s mother and sister Pippa were spotted in his boutique earlier this year; Sophie Wessex, the wife of Prince William’s uncle, has become the latest royal seen at the store, adding to speculation that Oldfield is crafting several gowns for the royal wedding..
The Bette Midler rumor that the singer is slated to appear on “Glee!” has some truth to it, but fans shouldn’t hold their collective breath.
Des fois, a donne quelque chose de pas mal mais je trouve aussi que a peut tre un peu froid et m canique.
It exudes a sense of metallic and iridescence quality and is often sought only by people sure of what they want to own..
Her distinctive look also led to a plethora of magazine and editorial work and Natasha appeared on the covers of Australian Vogue, Russian Vogue, French Vogue, Amica, and Marie Claire later that same year..
This center is a treasure trove of real factory outlets with amazing deals.
Lorsque vous ne pouvez pas m’emp锚cher de votre centre Homme Air Max Light CHAUSSURES d’achat 脿 proximit茅 afin d’exploration des grands entra?neurs qui pourraient existants un droit individuel de la meilleure relaxation, la longue liste des fameux style serait pas Devenir ignor茅.