I solved this in one session but didn’t time myself. Compared with some Jumbos of late I found it quite easy and there was very little here that was new to me.
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]. I usually omit all reference to positional indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
 Across |
|
| 1 | Fabric cut in back and put on view (6) |
| MOHAIR | |
| HOM{e}(in) [cut] reversed [back], AIR (put on view) | |
| 5 | Vase from Parma smashed outside little house (7) |
| AMPHORA | |
| Anagram [smashed] of PARMA containing [outside] HO (little house – ho.) | |
| 9 | Performance tribal leader captured initially in recording (3,5) |
| TAP DANCE | |
| DAN (tribal leader – son of Jacob) + C{aptured} [initially] contained by [in] TAPE (recording) | |
| 13 | Individual in grotty aerodrome who contrived to be short-lived (4,5,4,8) |
| HERE TODAY GONE TOMORROW | |
| ONE (individual) contained by [in] anagram [contrived] of GROTTY AERODROME WHO | |
| 14 | Retired Hull partner’s holding tax for return (8) |
| EMERITUS | |
| EMU’S (Rod Hull partner’s) containing [holding] TIRE (tax) reversed [for return]. Hull and Emu can be seen here in their infamous encounter with Michael Parkinson. In another encounter, Billy Connolly told Hull up-front, “If that thing comes anywhere near me I’ll break its neck and your bloody arm.” | |
| 15 | Love doctor, Nancy’s friend, modelling in paper (7) |
| ORIGAMI | |
| O (love), RIG (doctor), AMI (Nancy’s – i.e. French – friend) | |
| 16 | Quarrel coming after fine for litter (6) |
| FARROW | |
| F (fine), ARROW (quarrel). A quarrel is fired by a crossbow and is more usually called a bolt, but ‘arrow’ also appears in some definitions. | |
| 17 | Visits duke declines (4,2,4) |
| GOES TO SEED | |
| GOES TO SEE (visits), D (duke) | |
| 20 | Ridiculously lively press surrounding English or US icon (5,7) |
| ELVIS PRESLEY | |
| Anagram [ridiculously] of LIVELY PRESS containing [surrounding] E (English) | |
| 23 | Wine in a small container any number refused (4) |
| ASTI | |
| A, S (small), TI{n} (container) [any number – n – refused] | |
| 24 | One active in small hours close to lough, drinking whiskey (5,3) |
| NIGHT OWL | |
| NIGH (close), TO + L (lough) containing [drinking] W (whiskey – NATO alphabet) | |
| 26 | Assess empty learner replacing academic at last (8) |
| EVALUATE | |
| Evacuate [empty] becomes EVALUATE when L (learner) replaces {academi}C [last] | |
| 29 | Spice received by South American celebrity (6,6) |
| GINGER ROGERS | |
| GINGER (spice), ROGER (radio message received), S (south) | |
| 30 | Opposition from MI6 on a new tax (10) |
| ANTITHESIS | |
| A, N (new), TITHE (tax), SIS (MI6 – Military Intelligence, Section 6 aka Secret Intelligence Service) | |
| 32 | CIA ensnaring fool, minor poet occasionally following stars (10) |
| CASSIOPEIA | |
| CIA containing [ensnaring] ASS (fool) + {m}I{n}O{r} P{p}E{t} [occasionally]. A constellation representing the queen of Ethiopia. This turned up a day or two later in another puzzle but I’d already done the hard work. | |
| 34 | Eventually stop throat gland twitching — after one’s swallowed? (5,2,1,4) |
| GRIND TO A HALT | |
| I (one) contained [swallowed] by anagram [twitching] of THROAT GLAND | |
| 36 | Changes appearance of tyres given new tread (8) |
| REMOULDS | |
| Two meanings | |
| 38 | Conservative having to accept Liberal’s acting the fool (8) |
| CLOWNING | |
| C (Conservative) + OWNING (having) containing [to accept] L (Liberal) | |
| 39 | Not seen: heard in fog (4) |
| MIST | |
| Sounds like [heard] “missed” (not seen) | |
| 41 | Story always having to go round for cheque’s intended recipient (7,5) |
| ACCOUNT PAYEE | |
| ACCOUNT (story), PEE (go) containing [round] AY (always) | |
| 43 | Avoidance, or non-appearance, to include time at home? (10) |
| ABSTINENCE | |
| ABSENCE (non-appearance) containing [to include] T (time) + IN (at home) | |
| 44 | Endlessly dreadful meat that makes change in Casablanca? (6) |
| DIRHAM | |
| DIR{e} (dreadful) [endlessly], HAM (meat). The monetary unit in Morocco amongst other places. | |
| 46 | Egyptian god leaving horse outside pub with eastern bard (7) |
| ORPHEUS | |
| {h}ORUS (Egyptian god) [leaving horse] containing [outside] PH (public house) + E (eastern). I knew the god as one of the regular symbols on Only Connect. | |
| 48 | Important way alpha male does twirl wearing women’s clothes (4,4) |
| MAIN DRAG | |
| A (alpha) + M (male) reversed [does twirl], IN DRAG (wearing women’s clothes) | |
| 50 | Easiest way Allies often organised underground fighters (4,2,5,10) |
| LINE OF LEAST RESISTANCE | |
| Anagram [organised] of ALLIES OFTEN, then RESISTANCE (underground fighters) | |
| 51 | Lock spring breaks to give uninvited access (8) |
| TRESPASS | |
| SPA (spring) contained by [breaks] TRESS (lock – hair) | |
| 52 | On about knight buried in card player’s grave (7) |
| EARNEST | |
| RE (on) containing [about] N (knight – chess) contained by [buried in] EAST (card player – bridge) | |
| 53 | Debauched son initially hooked on strong Levantine booze (6) |
| RAKISH | |
| RAKI (strong Levantine booze), S (son), H{ooked} [initially] | |
| Down |
|
| 2 | Celtic characters in hotel try rolls before noon (5) |
| OGHAM | |
| H (hotel – NATO alphabet) + GO (try) reversed [rolls], AM (before noon). SOED has ‘ogham’ as an ancient British and Irish system of writing using an alphabet of twenty or twenty-five characters. If I knew this I had forgotten it. | |
| 3 | Sailor in a hurry to accommodate Irish, improving image (11) |
| AIRBRUSHING | |
| AB (sailor) containing [to accommodate] IR (Irish), RUSHING (in a hurry) | |
| 4 | Run over by Hulot’s creator on cycle (8) |
| ROTATION | |
| R (run), O (over), TATI (Monsieur Hulot’s creator – Jacques Tati), ON | |
| 5 | Vikings heading down to the middle Peak District (5) |
| ANDES | |
| Danes (Vikings) with its ‘heading down’ becomes ANDES | |
| 6 | Board has power replacing leading trio in film industry (7) |
| PLYWOOD | |
| Hollywood (film industry) has its ‘leading trio’ of letters replaced by P (power) to become PLYWOOD | |
| 7 | Pleasant-smelling rose our Fido chewed (11) |
| ODORIFEROUS | |
| Anagram [chewed] of ROSE OUR FIDO | |
| 8 | Stories about sappers in scene of conflict (5) |
| ARENA | |
| ANA (stories – collection of anecdotes) containing [about] RE (sappers – Royal Engineers) | |
| 9 | Disagreed also with a thousand children (4,5) |
| TOOK ISSUE | |
| TOO (also), K (a thousand), ISSUE (children) | |
| 10 | Page covering mathematical sequence (5) |
| PROOF | |
| P (page), ROOF (covering). Chambers has ‘proof’ as a step-by-step verification of a proposed mathematical statement. | |
| 11 | Surprise with ear affected when this changes? (3,8) |
| AIR PRESSURE | |
| Anagram [affected] of SURPRISE EAR | |
| 12 | Ranch hand from old west quietly immersed in drink (7) |
| COWPOKE | |
| O (old) + W (west) + P (quietly) contained by [immersed in] COKE (drink) | |
| 18 | Stubborn stain to be treated (9) |
| OBSTINATE | |
| Anagram [treated] of STAIN TO BE | |
| 19 | Example chapter taken from long story book (7) |
| EPITOME | |
| EPI{c} (long story) [chapter – c – taken], TOME (book) | |
| 21 | Philistine victory over European initially reduced (9) |
| VULGARIAN | |
| V (victory), {b}ULGARIAN (European) [initially reduced] | |
| 22 | Editor’s job to conceal Democrat opposition to political change (8) |
| REACTION | |
| RE{d}ACTION (editor’s job) [to conceal Democrat] | |
| 25 | Superior-sounding structure unknown in priesthood (9) |
| HIERARCHY | |
| HIER sounding like “higher” (superior), ARCH (structure), Y (unknown). I didn’t know this relating specifically to priests, but apparently it can do so. | |
| 27 | Drink repercussions disheartened sleuth must accept (6,3) |
| TRIPLE SEC | |
| TEC (sleuth) contains [must accept] RIP{p}LES (repercussions) [disheartened]. It’s an orange liqueur used in cocktails. I knew the name but not what it is. | |
| 28 | Bear left turning for city and borough there? (8) |
| BROOKLYN | |
| BROOK (bear – put up with), L (left), then NY (city – New York) reversed [turning] | |
| 31 | News items Henry substituted with primitive thoughts (7) |
| TIDINGS | |
| Things (items) becomes TIDINGS when H (Henry) is substituted with ID (primitive thoughts). SOED has ‘id’ in psychoanalysis as the inherited instinctive impulses of the individual. | |
| 33 | Vote to have cards on display? (4,2,5) |
| SHOW OF HANDS | |
| A straight definition and a cryptic hint | |
| 34 | Board game — single punter to excel (2,3,6) |
| GO ONE BETTER | |
| GO (board game), ONE (single), BETTER (punter) | |
| 35 | Composer one carrying can ultimately appearing in Private Eye (11) |
| HUMPERDINCK | |
| HUMPER (one carrying), then {ca}N [ultimately] contained by [appearing in] DICK (Private Eye). More famous as the name of a pop star, at least for a while. The German composer’s most famous work is Hänsel und Gretel. | |
| 37 | Playwright parking in London area, indications centrally ignored (9) |
| SOPHOCLES | |
| P (parking) contained by [in] SOHO (London area), CL{u}ES (indications) [centrally ignored] | |
| 40 | Left for Romans, most of Greek wine is revolting (8) |
| SINISTER | |
| RETSIN{a} (Greek wine) [most of} + IS reversed [revolting]. I certainly find this Greek wine revolting; I’m not sure I’ve ever had any other. | |
| 42 | German poet loses head, seeing horror film (7) |
| CHILLER | |
| {s}CHILLER (German poet) [loses head] | |
| 43 | True: sea can be cold (7) |
| AUSTERE | |
| Anagram [can be] of TRUE SEA | |
| 45 | Low note in brass (5) |
| MOOLA | |
| MOO (low – ‘The cattle are lowing…’), LA (note). Slang for money. | |
| 47 | Silver penny no longer in circulation? (5) |
| PLATE | |
| P (penny), LATE (no longer in circulation – deceased) | |
| 48 | First and second swapping places, getting damp (5) |
| MOIST | |
| 1ST (first) and MO (second) swapping gives us MOIST | |
| 49 | States not entirely hostile (5) |
| AVERS | |
| AVERS{e} (hostile) [not entirely] | |
DNF
This may have been easy–I can’t remember– but I couldn’t get 36ac REMOULDS, and that meant not getting 28d BROOKLYN (Once I got the L from the blog, I saw it immediately, but). I just looked it up, and ODE marks the tire sense British; in any case I never heard of it. I also failed to parse MOHAIR, and had no idea what was going on in 14ac (NHO Hull and Emu), but was able to biff both. ‘Debauched’ is pretty wide of the mark for RAKISH. I liked ANDES.
Chambers has ‘rake’ as a debauched or dissolute person
It was ‘rakish’ not ‘rake’ that I was objecting to, but I’ll grant that ‘rakish’ can mean ‘like a rake’, and Collins even gives a couple of corpus examples.
Yes, I’d assumed that was where you were coming from. ‘Rakish’ has that meaning of being stylish, jaunty, dashing etc which is far removed from ‘debauched’ but that’s covered under a separate entry, ‘rake / rakish’ (3) in Chambers. The ‘debauched / dissolute’ entry is under ‘rake / rakish’ (2) .
99 minutes for a prettty straightforward solve. Some sticking points: I saw EMU’S straight away but took a while to build him up into EMERITUS; I knew DIRHAM as a currency, but not as the currency of Morocco; and Nancy’s friend AMI just failed to click as she should have. Lots to like, including MOIST and COWPOKE.
It was not just CASSIOPEIA that reappeared 3 or 4 days later. In the same crossword the tricky “bear” clueing “brook” showed up again. They are not so hard when you have just seen them already. Funny how that happens
I don’t usually tackle Jumbos, as I am not a fast solver, but Mr Ego and I decided to have a go jointly and see how we got on. We finished this one, all correct, but I no longer have the printout, only those for the 18th and 25th, so can’t comment in detail. However, it was less daunting than I had thought it would be and good fun.
Welcome to Jumboland! It’s easy to be daunted by the size of the puzzles but more often than not they are not overly difficult.