We now have a rota for these bank holiday specials and as I’m willing to blog the FT, I get to play too
An enjoyable puzzle from Julius, which would have been more fun if I hadn’t been rushing to get this out as I know I’m busy next weekend when this is due for publication (so don’t necesarily expect a quick response).
I think I’ve parsed and solved everything to more or less my satisfaction, barring one clue where I cannot see anything else to explain the clue. It’s not quite a pangram as no Q.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | FISHING TACKLE |
It’s used by those looking to net stocks moving between banks (7,6)
|
| cryptic definition – I think – I can’t see any word play | ||
| 8 | PARSONAGE |
Boy attendant admits laying fire chez Brontë (9)
|
| insertion (admits) PAGE (boy attendant) around (admits) ARSON (laying fire) – the Brontes lived in the PARSONAGE at Haworth, which is now open as a museum | ||
| 13 | CABLE |
Message taxi beginning to lose energy (5)
|
| charade of CAB (taxi) + L + E (the beginnings of Lose & Energy) | ||
| 14 | THIRD RAIL |
Supplier of power for those training? (5,4)
|
| cryptic definition – the third rail is the rail carrying power to some electric trains, particularly on London Underground | ||
| 15 | TEMPEST |
European politician mired in trial storm (7)
|
| insertion (mired in) of E (European) + MP (politician) in (mired in) TEST (trial) | ||
| 16 | THE GODFATHER |
FT: Goethe had crafted conclusion of major award-winning work (3,9)
|
| anagram (crafted) of (FT GOETHE HAD + R)* where R comes from the conclusion of majoR – I’ve only ever read the books, but the films, especially the first, did well at the Oscars. | ||
| 17 | SEDAN CHAIR |
Seat supported by Poles? (5,5)
|
| cryptic definition – this one refers to these chairs – used much in the 18th and 19th centuries, carried on poles | ||
| 18 | OUTLAW |
Bandit dismissed talk of traditional wisdom (6)
|
| a charade of to dismiss something is to OUT it and traditional wisdom is “lore”, which, in non-rhotic accents sounds like LAW – so when we hear “talk of” | ||
| 19 | PRETORIA |
New airport covering European capital city (8)
|
| anagram (new) of (AIRPORT)* with the insertion of E (covering European) – and PRETORIA is one of the capitals of South Africa, which has three official capital cities. | ||
| 21 | LAMBDA |
Lady Caroline beginning to draft a letter (6)
|
| charade of LAMB (Lady Caroline) + D + A, where D is the beginning of Draft. I know her as the author of Glenarvon and a lover of Lord Byron. | ||
| 24 | SINGLES BAR |
Pick-up joint not serving a large G&T? (7,3)
|
| cryptic definition – a singles bar could be selling single shots of spirits, without mixers, so not with tonic | ||
| 26 | LIVERPUDLIAN |
Scouse, offal, dessert ordered in LA (12)
|
| charade of LIVER (offal) + PUD (dessert) + an anagram (ordered) of (IN LA)* – a scouser is a Liverpudlian – apparently named after the smell of a cooking stew (lobscouse) that filled the streets. | ||
| 29 | RITZ |
Hotel delivered legal petitions (4)
|
| soundalike of “writs” (legal petitions) for the hotel on Piccadilly, next to Green Park | ||
| 30 | OVERHAUL |
Repair area where chandelier might hang, it’s said (8)
|
| soundalike (it’s said) – an area where the chandelier could hang is “over” the “hall” | ||
| 31 | ADHESIVE |
Ambassador’s visiting an underground bar that’s tacky (8)
|
| insertion (visiting) of HE’S (ambassador’s – His Excellency) into A DIVE (an underground bar) | ||
| 34 | MARSH TIT |
Alien planet attacked, capturing regiment’s last flier (5,3)
|
| insertion (capturing) of T (regimenT’s last) into MARS (alien planet) HIT (attacked) for this flier | ||
| 35 | AMERICAN |
Idle, boring adult chap from across the pond (8)
|
| insertion (boring) of ERIC (Idle) into A MAN (adult) | ||
| 36 | JILT |
Dump 35 avoiding prison time (4)
|
| deletion of A (American) from JAIL (prison) + T (time) – where the American comes from the answer to 35A | ||
| 39 | NEVERTHELESS |
Still shelter seven at sea (12)
|
| anagram (at sea) of (SHELTER SEVEN)* | ||
| 40 | BEAR MARKET |
When stocks weaken in Feb, earmark Ethereum (4,6)
|
| hidden word(s) (in) feB EARMARK EThereum | ||
| 43 | APNOEA |
Sleep disturbance application almost announced (6)
|
| soundalike (announced) of “app near” (application almost) | ||
| 44 | GRAPHITE |
Plumbago Fiennes has forgotten, left in French holiday home (8)
|
| insertion (in) of RAlPH (Fiennes L forgotten) in GITE (French holiday home) – and according to Chambers, plumbago is another word for graphite. | ||
| 45 | KIT BAG |
Check it – BA generally accepts a small piece of luggage (3,3)
|
| hidden word(s) (accepts) in checK IT BA Generally | ||
| 49 | HEADSTRONG |
The Dragons: awfully self-willed (10)
|
| anagram (awfully) of (THE DRAGONS)* | ||
| 51 | ESCAPOLOGIST |
He’ll get free specials to go, freshly cooked (12)
|
| anagram (freshly cooked) of (SPECIALS TO GO)* | ||
| 53 | LEISURE |
The French certain to embrace current time off work (7)
|
| charade of LE (the French) + SURE (certain) around (to embrace) I (current) | ||
| 54 | IMPARTIAL |
Italy military assuming power without taking a side (9)
|
| charade of I (italian) + MARTIAL (military) around (assuming) P (power) | ||
| 55 | NAIRN |
Clean air now blankets Scottish port (5)
|
| hidden word(s) in (blankets) cleaN AIR Now | ||
| 56 | CONSTANCE |
Lady Chatterley caught on one occasion embracing Stanley? (9)
|
| charade of C (caught) + ONCE (on one occasion) around (embracing) STAN (Stanley) – in the novel of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, her name was CONSTANCE and her lover was the gamekeeper Oliver Mellors, | ||
| 57 | OCEANOGRAPHER |
Marine expert’s anchor rope has become frayed with age (13)
|
| anagram (frayed) of (ANCHOR ROPE + AGE)* | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | FACETIOUS |
Waggish expert engaged by this paper supported by debts (9)
|
| charade of ACE (expert) in FT (this paper) + IOUS (debts) | ||
| 2 | SUBVERT |
Corrupt little Trevor on coach heading north (7)
|
| reversal (heading north – in a down clue) of TREV (little Trevor) + BUS (coach) < | ||
| 3 | INEXORABLE |
Unrelenting popular former lover, fit, going after men (10)
|
| charade of IN (popular) + EX (former lover) + OR (men) + (going after) ABLE (fit) | ||
| 4 | GET OFF |
Escape vacuous George, a nob (3,3)
|
| charade of GE (vacuous GeorgE) + TOFF (a nob) | ||
| 5 | ARISTOPHANES |
Influential Greek wangled a senatorship (12)
|
| anagram (wangled) of (A SENATORSHIP) for this influential Greek – and my knowledge of the classics has improved from listening to Natalie Haynes’ Stand up for – I suspect I was in the audience for that one. | ||
| 6 | KEDGEREE |
Breakfast beer eg de Klerk necked when retired (8)
|
| reversed hidden (necked when retired) in bEER EG DE Klerk < | ||
| 7 | EXAM |
Next game: no-frills test (4)
|
| Centres of (no frills) of nEXt gAMe | ||
| 8 | PULVERISED |
Delivers rocks after turning up ground (10)
|
| anagram (rocks) of (DELIVERS)* after PU (turning UP<) | ||
| 9 | RATTAN |
Rodent on train regularly chewed away wickerwork (6)
|
| charade of RAT (rodent) + TAN (TrAiN – regularly chewed away) | ||
| 10 | OF MICE AND MEN |
1930s work that followed the best-laid plans? (2,4,3,3)
|
| cryptic definition – the title of the book, written in 1937, comes from a Robbie Burns quotation – the best laid plans of mice and men gang oft agley | ||
| 11 | ARENA |
An age setting up theatre (5)
|
| reversal of (setting up) AN ERA (an age) < | ||
| 12 | ENTERTAINMENT |
Pop into marquee hosting main cycling show (13)
|
| charade of ENTER (pop into) TENT (marquee) around AINM (main cycling) | ||
| 20 | OBITUARY |
Late announcement carried by newspaper? (8)
|
| cryptic definition – equating late with dead | ||
| 22 | BAILIWICK |
Specialist field security upset New Zealander outside clubs (9)
|
| charade of BAIL (security) + KIWI (New Zealander) upset to give IWIK, around C (clubs) | ||
| 23 | ASTONISH |
Area of Birmingham hospital fitted with independent second floor (8)
|
| charade of ASTON (area of Birmingham) + H (hospital) after I (independent) + S (second) | ||
| 25 | NOT PROVEN |
Amateur versus English back in Hampden? Odd decision from Scottish bench (3,6)
|
| charade of NOT PRO (amateur) + V (versus) + E (English) + N (back in HampdeN) – Hampden Park is the Scottish national ground and the whole clue is suggesting football decisions, not legal | ||
| 27 | PEDANTRY |
Rigorous formality of Miliband in kitchen cabinet? (8)
|
| insertion (in) of ED (Miliband) in PANTRY ( kitchen cabinet) with a question mark as pantries are often outside kitchens | ||
| 28 | THUMBS-UP |
Digitally-transmitted sign of approval? (6-2)
|
| cryptic definition – a thumb is a digit | ||
| 29 | ROMAN CATHOLIC |
Convert laic monarch to a Christian (5,8)
|
| anagram (convert) of (LAIC MONARCH)* | ||
| 32 | CHARLEYS AUNT |
Raunchy tales about West End production (8,4)
|
| anagram (about) of (RAUNCHY TALES) for this play – there was a recent production at the Mernier’s Chocolate Factory, but it’s not on currently in the West End | ||
| 33 | ACCELERATION |
AA fiddling with electronic car’s performance measure (12)
|
| anagram of (fiddling with) (AA + ELECTRONIC)* | ||
| 37 | FLORENTINE |
Fine Italian actress can start to eat spinach dish (10)
|
| charade of F (fine) + LOREN (Sophia – Italian actress) + TIN (can) + E (start to Eat) – classic French cookery calls dishes served on a bed of spinach with a creamy sauce Florentine | ||
| 38 | CALIFORNIA |
The state of that hotel! (10)
|
| double defnition – and the hotel is from the classic Eagle’s hit | ||
| 41 | TIGHTENER |
Drunk, René cooked a heavy meal once (9)
|
| charade of TIGHT (drunk) + (RENE)* (cooked) and it’s in Chambers as a heavy meal | ||
| 42 | DIES IRAE |
Some recalled sea rise identified on the day of judgement (4,4)
|
| hidden reversed words (some recalled) in sEA RISE IDentified < – and from the ridiculous to the sublime – the DIES IRAE from Verdi’s Requiem | ||
| 46 | BRITISH |
Mistake importing principally rubbish tech from the UK (7)
|
| insertion of R (prinicipally Rubbish) + IT (tech) into BISH (mistake) -with a bit of help from Duncan. | ||
| 47 | URGE ON |
Encourage Scottish politician who’s lost her way? (4,2)
|
| deletion of ST (lost her way) from stURGEON (Scottish politician) | ||
| 48 | DOGLEG |
Follow upper-class girl around sharp bend (6)
|
| charade of DOG (follow) + GEL < (upper class girl (GEL)) reversed | ||
| 50 | ALIEN |
The greatest space movie! (5)
|
| and this is probably an &lit, depending on views the wordplay is ALI (the greatest) + EN (space – from printing) | ||
| 52 | OPPO |
Workmate unaffected by turnover (4)
|
| palindrome (unaffected by turnover) – so a word that’s reversible |
It was a pretty quick solve, although progress slowed in the NE corner. I best liked THUMBS UP, AMERICAN, DIES IRAE, OCEANOGRAPHER, and LAMBDA
I learned lots of things, including that Lady Chatterly’s name was Constance, a TIGHTENER is a heavy meal, apnea can be spelled APNOEA, and Aston is part of Birmingham. All interesting. Another thing I discovered was that, unfortunately for Julius, the “not proven” verdict was abolished at the beginning of this year. GRAPHITE was unfortunate in that I had to look up plumbago which rather gave away the answer.
I also saw 1ac as a cryptic clue.
Thanks Julius and Shanne
I very much enjoyed this.
Favourites included: LAMBDA, OVERHAUL, FLORENTINE, BAILIWICK, OUTLAW, GRAPHITE (for a while thought the solution might be leadwort – the plant – until the crosses ruled that out), FACETIOUS (lovely charade)
Also not heard of TIGHTENER
Thanks Julius and Shanne
Thanks Julius for the Jumbo entertainment full of great clues and anagrams. My top picks included THIRD RAIL, NEVERTHELESS, IMPARTIAL, CONSTANCE, ARISTOPHANES, RATTAN, CHARLEYS AUNT, and ALIEN. GRAPHITE was totally beyond my reach both in definition and wordplay and I couldn’t quite parse JILT and PULVERISES but generally I found this a friendly exercise. Thanks Shane for the blog.
Oh, I forgot to say that I really enjoyed the puzzle.
Good job on the blog. A well-constructed puzzle.