Times Jumbo 960 (7 Jan 2012)

Author   daveperryPosted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
Solving time: Off the scale. I forgot to pause the timer between sessions so my time just showed as +1 day, but I spent a long time on it. Indeed, 47d took the best part of a week on its own! And even then I got one wrong because I used the more common spelling of 11d having not bothered to unravel the cryptic before bunging it in.

There were some excellent definitions this week – 1d, 31a, 35, 36 & 49a were all quite clever & misleading. For the most part it was very entertaining, if quite tough.

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

Across
1 BALLOT PAPER = B + PAPER (leaves) about (cloisters) ALLOT (to assign)
7 TIPTOP = TOP after TIP
10 A + DAM
14 DIPTERA = DIP + (wATER)*
15 NEPTUNE = EP in (qualificatioN buT yoU wiN bronzE)
16 CROESUS = (SOURCES)*
17 OFF ONE’S OWN BAT = ONE + SOWN + BAT all after OFF – For those who don’t know their cricket terminology, a cricket bat is traditionally made of willow, so a willow has become a colloquial term for one, and the sides of a cricket field are known as the ‘on’ side, which the batsman faces as he stands sideways to recieve the ball, and the ‘off’ or ‘leg’ side, which is behind him.
18 STRANRAER = STRANd + REAR rev
19 TROOP = T (type of cross) + POOR (strapped) rev
21 CREDIT (swallow) + CARD (caution, as in to card a football player)
23 FAT CAT – rev hidden in benevolenT ACT A First)
25 BOOSTING = BOOk (work that’s bound) + STING
26 CHEMICAL SYMBOL = (M + SMALL BY CHOICE)*
29 TURN-OFF – dd
30 DISHCLOTH = LOTH after DISC about H
31 CO(X)ED – ‘Guided, say, four’ is the definition – nice lift & separate required on the ‘four times’
32 TOQUE = Quite Original rev in TUE
34 DANCEABLE = (LEAD CAN BE)*
37 BEAR + PIT = ‘stone’ after ‘brook’
39 BEEF WELLINGTON = BEEF + TO + N about WELLING
41 STARGAZE = STARt + GrAZE
43 GREYLY = even letters of mY pLaYs EnRaGe rev. Not sure I can remember seeing ‘reactionary’ for reversed before.
44 MAIN + TrAINED
45 LEE + C/H – I liked ‘taps’ for CH as in Cold/Hot
48 J + AUNTIE + STrictly – The BBC is affectionately known as Auntie Beeb, or quite often, just Auntie.
49 MID LIFE CRISIS = (FILM I CRIED)* + SIS – nicely disguised definition
51 RE+ PULSE
51 IN TOUCH – dd
52 APPEASE = PEA in APSE – I was a little confused by the East End reference until I realised that the apse of a church is usually found at the end of the eastern arm of the cross that forms its layout.
53 TORN – the end of Tip-and-ruN being T OR N
55 PAR + SEE – I was vaguely aware of the word, but couldn’t have told you it was a Zoroastrian.
56 TARA + DIDDLES – a taradiddle is a little white lie. The definition uses ‘pork pie’ in its Cockney rhyming slang sense for ‘lie’
Down
1 BEDPOST = BEd + POST
2 LAP OF HONOUR – cd
3 OD (take too much) + EON (time). ‘Performances here no longer’ is the definition for this Ancient Greek theatre.
4 PLAY + SECOND + FIDDLE = toy / back / to tinker
5 PONDWEED = (DEEP DOWN)*
6 REPUBLISHES = SHE for C in REPUBLIC + S
7 TRUST = The Really Unhappy Savers Takes
8 PRESSURE COOKER = (KEEPS SCOURER OR)*
9 O + SCARS
11 DI(SPA)TCH + BOX – I put in DESPATCH BOX and then puzzled for ages over the wordplay before I realised that I had the wrong spelling. I hadn’t even realised that this spelling was permissible.
12 MUSKRAT = MUST about ARK rev
13 BOUNDARY = A + lateR in BOUND + Y – March for Boundary has cropped up before. The Marches in England and Scotland is the area surrounding the border between the two. There was a Warden of the Marches who was responsible for the security of this border from 1297 until unification in 1603.
20 PO(TH)OLE
22 COsMIC
24 OLD HABITS DIE HARD = (A THIRD ABOLISHED)* + perioD
25 BATHTUB = BATH + BUT rev
27 LADETTE = LETTEr about AD
28 IDENTICAL TWINS = I + DEALT + WINS about (NT + IC) – Although I have to point out that 99 in Roman numerals is XCIX, and not IC.
31 CHABROL = (ABHOR)* in CL – Claude Chabrol was a French film director
33 QUEUE-JUMPER = “CUE” + JUMPER
35 EGG ON – dd – I’ve not had a boiled egg and soldiers for years.
36 BOOM AND BUST = AND + BUST after BOOM
38 PRAYER SHAWL = (SHARPLY + WEAR)*
40 WALK TALL = LAW rev + K + TALL (as in a tall story)
42 ENCIPHER = (NICE + P)* + HER
43 GUJARAT = JUG rev + A + RAT
46 HOSTESS = rev hidden in marvellouS SET SO Hyped
47 GENesis + EVA – It took me an age to work this one out. It may have been easier if I’d heard of Geneva Bands which are the linen strips that hang down from the neck of some ecclesiastical robes.
49 MOTTE = even characters of iMpOrTs ThE – A motte is a raised earthwork that forms part of a castle defence.
50 RAP + ID

3 comments on “Times Jumbo 960 (7 Jan 2012)”

  1. very interesting article! I will follow your themes.
    Can I subscribe to your posts on Twitter or on your Facebook profile?
  2. I found this tough as well, finishing in 41:11, with the last few minutes spent on 47dn. I’d vaguely heard of “Geneva bands”, but wasn’t confident enough to make GENEVA my final answer until I’d spent some time trying to eliminate other possibilities.
  3. I forgot to time myself, but it was something slightly short of forever. And my LOIs were 47d and 49d. I dithered for a long time between ‘Teresa’ and ‘Geneva’, not being able to make any sense of ‘bands’; but GEN + EVA did make sense, so I went with it. I quite liked 49ac, 3d and 42d.

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