Times Jumbo 970 (17 Mar 2012)

Author   daveperryPosted on Categories Jumbo Cryptic
Solving time: 1:42:23 – with one wrong (I couldn’t spell RATATOUILLE)

I made fairly steady progress through this one, although I did it in lots of short bursts. There were a few words I didn’t know – JEHU, TETRACHORD & TOCSIN, but all were gettable from the wordplay. I thought it was all pretty fair, so I’ve no complaints about any of the clues.

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

Across
1 S(W)AM + P
4 DE + PO’S IT
8 PROP(ELL)ER
13 EPI(STOLId)C
14 ON THE FACE OF IT – dd
15 DOLE + FUeL
16 H(A + TB)AND
17 GUNBOAT = UN + Boarded in GO AT
18 HAVE OTHER FISH TO FRY – dd
21 JEHU = EH (what?) + Usher after J – I didn’t know this word. It’s a coachman, particularly one who drives fast and furiously. It’s from King Jehu of Israel who was noted for his furious chariot attacks.
23 INBREATHE = (IN BATH about RE) + E – One of Chaucer’s travellers from the Canterbury Tales was the Wife of Bath.
25 CE + RISE
26 MORSE + Lynley – separation required for Inspector / Lynley
28 TRANSOCEANIC = (ArchaiC + CONTAINERS)*
30 DELIBEs + RATE
33 ALTARPIECE = “ALTER” (change annouonced) + PIECE (bishop possibly, in chess)
34 AFTERTHOUGHT = (FATE)* + THOUGH in RT
37 STEADY – dd
39 PUSH + TU – The official language of Afghanistan
40 CORK + Sixes + CREW
42 RUSH – dd
43 ROLLING IN THE AISLES (or “ISLES”)
46 LOW-RISE – dd
47 B/E + SEE + CH
48 IRKSOME = dIRK’S ‘OME – Dirk Bogarde was an English film actor, probably best know as Simon Sparrow in Doctor in the House and its numerous sequels. 53 is EAST END where Hs are commonly dropped so HOME becomes OME.
50 STEPPING-STONE = ONE after ST/ST about EPPING, an Essex town best known for its forest.
51 BUTTERCUP = UTTER in B + CUP (golf slang)
52 ANECDOTAL = (A LAD ONCE + Told)*
53 EAST END = ED about (A + STEN)
54 DIRGE = RIDGE with the first 3 letters (60%) reversed
Down
1 SPENDTHRIFT = S + “PENNED” + THRIFT – A thrift is a plant of the genus Armeria known for its rapid growth.
2 ARIEL = “AERIAL” – an air spirit in The Tempest
3 PUT OFF ONE’S STRIDE – dd – Stride piano was a jazz style from the 20s & 30s similar to ragtime, but where the left hand jumps up and down by an octave or more in a steady rhythm. Fats Waller, Art Tatum & Thelonius Monk were all well-known for it. Here’s a talented young musician playing a Fats Waller standard.
4 DELILAH = HAL + I + LED all rev
5 PACKHORSE = HORSE (slang for heroin) after PACK (deck, of cards)
6 SHORT CIRCUIT – dd
7 TETRACHORD = (RECORD THAT)*
8 PSEUD = SEt in PUD
9 O + RANGER + Y
10 EXE + hUNT – A stage direction often seen in Shakespeare. One character exits, several characters exeunt.
11 LEFTOVERS = typE oF conducT in LOVERS
12 RATATOUILLE = (IT ATE ALL OUR)* – Not Ratatoullie as I put, Doh!
19 VI + BRAN + T
20 dOuBt + SCENE
22 COME TO A STICKY END – I don’t know much about conker trees, but I believe they were the original source of acetone, so maybe it’s this that makes the shoots sticky. Although I’m also brought to mind of small boys in the park throwing sticks at the trees to get the conkers but this is probably altogether too whimsical to be the intention.
24 TOCSIN = TO SIN about C
27 LITTER – dd – a dam being the mother of an animal like a horse or sheep.
29 ACCRUAL = “A CRUEL”
31 AUG + URAL
32 EFFUSIVENESS = (FIVES SEES FUN)*
33 AUSTR(ALAS)IA
35 TOWNSPEOPLE – cd – there are more people in a town than in a hamlet. The capital H in hamlet is purely for misdirection purposes.
36 RHINESTONE = (HER ONE ISN’T)*
38 EL + SEW + HERE
40 CAT + CH + AB(L)E
41 LOVE KNOT = LOVE + “NOT”
44 EMITTED = MITT in DEE rev
45 L(IMP)ID
47 BASIL – hidden in joB AS ILlustration
49 OC + CUR

4 comments on “Times Jumbo 970 (17 Mar 2012)”

  1. 21:09 for me. Mostly pretty straightforward stuff, though I’m not entirely sure that I’ve come across EPISTOLIC or INBREATHE before.

    Thanks for the Stephanie Trick link – most impressive. Does she sing as well though? I think the first EP I ever bought must have been of Fats Waller performing Ain’t Misbehavin’ and, and … Oh damn! I can’t even remember now. Probably My Very Good Friend the Milkman. But he sang as well as played.

  2. Ha ha, if I could play piano like that girl, and all someone could say was “But, do you sing as well? Fats Waller can” I probably would not be responsible for my actions.. she is spectacularly good! I no longer quite have the ear for it, but I suspect she may even be technically better than he was. Listen to some of her others..

    1. I must admit I spent an enjoyable hour or so deciding which of her clips to use, so I think I listened to most of them. I didn’t come across any of her singing as well, but I suspect it would only detract from her performance. I had originally intended to find an old black & white clip of Fats himself, but when I stumbled across her I just had to use her instead.

      Edited at 2012-04-01 10:08 pm (UTC)

    2. She’s good, Jerry, but IMO not spectacularly good. There’s a certain lack of warmth in her playing which her age doesn’t entirely excuse (if you compare her with some of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competitors, for example). She seems to have improved now that she’s older, but I’m not at all sure she’s technically better than Fats Waller was. I’m going to make what is perhaps a rather unfair comparison since I think she was having an off day, but try comparing this with this.

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