The bank holiday weekend jumbo puzzle from Saturday 30th December, which comes with a seasonal message.
A fine puzzle that I enjoyed dipping into to solve over the course of the long weekend (and a bit over). Lots of clever, inventive and amusing stuff here, as is the norm from this setter. Particular favourites for me were 21a DOUBLE AGENTS and 38d NASHVILLE.
Many thanks, Neo, and a 24 46 5 across from this 17 to you and all other 17s too!
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | HUMBUG |
Sweet sound from bee and another insect (6)
|
| HUM (sound from bee) + BUG (another insect) | ||
| 5 | NEW YEAR |
When resolutions traditionally made, were any broken? (3,4)
|
| Anagram (broken) of WERE ANY | ||
| 9/40 | AULD LANG SYNE |
Doctor analysed lung many years ago (4,4,4)
|
| Anagram (doctor) of ANALYSED LUNG | ||
| 13 | ALTERNATIVE |
Selection domestic laid on table so to speak (11)
|
| NATIVE (domestic) “laid on” ALTER (sounds like ALTAR = table, so to speak) | ||
| 14 | STRATEGIST |
Planner runs in to communicate main points (10)
|
| R (runs) inserted in STATE (communicate) + GIST (main points) | ||
| 15 | WELL-NIGH |
Wonderful evening knowing no bounds, almost (4-4)
|
| sWELL (wonderful) NIGHt (evening) with first and last letters removed (knowing no bounds) | ||
| 16 | TRADE-IN |
Defoe’s outside, sitting in coach to make deal (5-2)
|
| First and last letters (outside) of DefoE inside (sitting in) TRAIN (coach) | ||
| 17 | SOLVER |
Cracker served with seconds, finished eating meal at last (6)
|
| S (seconds) + OVER (finished) containing (eating) the last letter of meaL | ||
| 18 | SHORE LEAVE |
Sandy expanse — desert that ought to please Jack? (5,5)
|
| SHORE (sandy expanse) + LEAVE (desert) | ||
| 21 | DOUBLE AGENTS |
Spies AA men? (6,6)
|
| DOUBLE A (AA) + GENTS (men) | ||
| 24 | VERY |
Dead characters seen in Forever Young (4)
|
| “Characters seen in” foreVER Young | ||
| 25 | RELEASED |
Granted parole, grass taking in grasslands? (8)
|
| REED (grass) “taking in” LEAS (grasslands, or meadows) | ||
| 27 | NOSE DIVE |
Dramatic decline in air travel? (4,4)
|
| Cryptic literal definition of a phrase that’s perhaps most often used figuratively | ||
| 30 | IN ALL BUT NAME |
Until able to reform, fellow put back inside essentially (2,3,3,4)
|
| Anagram (to reform) of UNTIL ABLE with MAN (fellow) reversed & inserted (put back inside) | ||
| 31 | CASHIERING |
Reach GIs in manoeuvres, dismissing disgraced officers (10)
|
| Anagram (manoeuvres) of REACH GIS IN | ||
| 33 | OCCASIONAL |
Periodic table maybe? (10)
|
| Two definitions
As a child, I often wondered why my mum called it an occasional table. What is it the rest of the time? |
||
| 35 | INDIAN SUMMER |
Adder from Ahmedabad seen in late autumnal heat? (6,6)
|
| Two definitions, the first whimsically cryptic
Adder/summer = one who adds/sums. |
||
| 37 | HYDROGEN |
Element of info given by resort (8)
|
| GEN (info) “given by” HYDRO (an old word for a spa resort) | ||
| 39 | TIMIDITY |
Showing fear, tense setter’s taking it round Idaho yard (8)
|
| T (tense) + I’M (setter’s) + IT containing (round) ID (Idaho) + Y (yard) | ||
| 40 |
See 9
|
|
| 42 | INCANDESCENT |
Dazzling old Peruvian pedigree? (12)
|
| INCAN (old Peruvian) + DESCENT (pedigree) | ||
| 44 | DAY TRIPPER |
No case for such a person making short excursion? (3,7)
|
| Cryptic definition
A day tripper wouldn’t need an overnight bag (case). |
||
| 45 | OGRISH |
Journey back with Sunak endlessly frightening (6)
|
| GO (journey) reversed (back) + RISHi (Sunak “endlessly”) | ||
| 47 | VINEGAR |
Acidic liquid in grave bubbling (7)
|
| Anagram (bubbling) of IN GRAVE | ||
| 49 | HANGOVER |
Gin initially served in royal house: have this on Monday? (8)
|
| First letter (initially) of Gin inserted into (served in) HANOVER (royal house) | ||
| 51 | ERYSIPELAS |
Poor series with play brings complaint (10)
|
| Anagram (poor) of SERIES + PLAY
It’s a streptococcal infection, apparently. |
||
| 52 | BRAINS TRUST |
Female supporters with confidence welcoming in expert group (6,5)
|
| BRAS (female supporters) + TRUST (confidence) containing (welcoming) IN | ||
| 53 | CATALYSE |
Investigation involving leaderless country to stimulate reaction (8)
|
| CASE (investigation) containing (involving) iTALY (“leaderless” country) | ||
| 54 | SPECTRE |
Seeing first couple last, admire ghost (7)
|
| RESPECT (admire) with the first two letters moved to the end (seeing first couple last) | ||
| 55 | CHEERS |
Famed sitcom, or concise version of ‘a 24 46 5 across to all FT 17s’? (6)
|
| Two definitions | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | USAGE |
American extended period in employment (5)
|
| US (American) + AGE (extended period) | ||
| 3 | BATTLE ROYAL |
Fight with club used by the king in France in short story (6,5)
|
| BAT (club) + LE ROY (the king in France) inserted in TALe (“short” story) | ||
| 4 | GARFIELD |
Fish served with mead for cat keen on lasagna? (8)
|
| GAR (fish) + FIELD (mead, an archaic form of meadow) | ||
| 5 | NEATH |
Elegant hotel down under? (5)
|
| NEAT (elegant) + H (hotel) | ||
| 6 | WHISTLE |
Sound alarm in the act of crossing street (7)
|
| WHILE (in the act of) “crossing” ST (street) | ||
| 7 | EMERALD ISLE |
Green Man? Here stout sells well! (7,4)
|
| EMERALD (green) + ISLE (Man, for example)
The Green Man is a common name for pubs in the UK. |
||
| 8 | ROSIE |
Tea in Bow for the Burdock girl? (5)
|
| Two definitions
Rosie Lee is tea in Cockney rhyming slang (hence “in Bow”, East London), and Ms Burdock is the young lady referred to in the title of Laurie Lee’s Cider With Rosie. |
||
| 9 | ADRENALIN |
Article about Ireland transformed is rousing stuff (9)
|
| AN (article) “about” an anagram (transformed) of IRELAND | ||
| 10 | LOTUS |
Flower books found in boozer where husband barred (5)
|
| OT (books = Old Testament) inserted in LUSh (boozer) with the H (husband) deleted (barred) | ||
| 11 | LEGAL TENDER |
Good money from member — tip given in change (5,6)
|
| LEG (member) + END (tip) inserted in (given in) ALTER (change) | ||
| 12 | NO SWEAT |
Piece of cake: one was ordered on time (2,5)
|
| Anagram (ordered) of ONE WAS “on” T (time) | ||
| 19 | HUE AND CRY |
Man reported prince (with 12?) concealing credit racket (3,3,3)
|
| HUE (sounds like HUGH or HUW = “man reported”) + ANDY (prince, “with 12?” [NO SWEAT] because he claims he can’t sweat) “concealing” CR (credit) | ||
| 20 | AVESTAN |
This spake Zarathustra, upsetting savante (7)
|
| Anagram (upsetting) of SAVANTE
Avestan is an ancient form of Iranian that only survives in the sacred texts of Zoroastrianism. The clue plays on Nietzsche’s Thus Spake Zarathustra. |
||
| 22 | UNDECIDED |
One French action keeping detectives in two minds (9)
|
| UN (one French) + DEED (action) containing (keeping) CID (detectives) | ||
| 23 | ABSCISSA |
Co-ordinate muscles like so when rising (8)
|
| ABS (muscles) + reversal (when rising) of AS (like) + SIC (so) | ||
| 26 | EPAULETTE |
Flashing of the shoulder from Oriental female? (9)
|
| E (eastern = Oriental) + PAULETTE (female) | ||
| 28 | VENGEANCE |
By which wronged can at last be getting even? (9)
|
| Anagram (wronged) of CAN + the last letters of bE and gettinG + EVEN | ||
| 29 | ABRIDGED |
Notice shown about game being shortened (8)
|
| AD (notice) containing (shown about) BRIDGE (game) | ||
| 32 | SWARTHY |
Dark pitch must cover excrescence (7)
|
| SHY (pitch) containing (must cover) WART (excrescence) | ||
| 34 | ADRIATIC SEA |
What’s holding up ferries between Italy and the Balkans? (8,3)
|
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 35 | IMMITIGABLE |
Big-time mail disruption impossible to relieve (11)
|
| Anagram (disruption) of BIG-TIME MAIL | ||
| 36 | MASS-PRODUCE |
At quantity manufacture crowd for Mussolini? (4-7)
|
| MASS (crowd) + PRO (for) + DUCE (Mussolini) | ||
| 38 | NASHVILLE |
Kingmaker needs tree for first English country home (9)
|
| NeVILLE (Richard Neville, aka Warwick the Kingmaker) with ASH (tree) replacing the first E (English)
Country home as in the home of country music – Nashville, Tennessee, is where you’ll find the Grand Ole Opry. |
||
| 41 | FRENETIC |
Mad female in charge drawing in sappers with trap (8)
|
| F (female) + IC (in charge) containing (drawing in) RE (sappers = Royal Engineers) + NET (trap) | ||
| 43 | NIGERIA |
River spirit coming to the North Country (7)
|
| AIRE (the river that flows through Leeds) + GIN (spirit) all reversed (coming to the north) | ||
| 44 | DORMANT |
Hardly active, Mike enters rave after party (7)
|
| M (Mike) enters RANT (rave) after DO (party) | ||
| 46 | HAPPY |
Dwarf animated and slightly drunk (5)
|
| Two definitions | ||
| 48 | NESTS |
Serpent finally entering monster’s loch makes home (5)
|
| Last letter (finally) of serpenT “enters” NESS (monster’s loch) | ||
| 49 | HINGE |
Turning point for Dame Hilda’s accompanist? (5)
|
| Two definitions
Dr Evadne Hinge was the musical partner of Dame Hilda Bracket in the comedy double act Hinge and Bracket. |
||
| 50 | ESTER |
Badger not quiet in compound (5)
|
| pESTER (badger) less P (quiet) |
Depending on the clue, I found this a mix of challenge, innovation, enjoyment and frustration.
My favourites were WELL NIGH for its innovation, AULD LANG SYNE for its clever anagram & seasonality, INDIAN SUMMER and INCANDESCENT for their cleverness and quirkiness, NEATH and FRENETIC for their clever surfaces. I also give 10 honourable mention as it used “flower” to actually mean “flower” and not “river”.
LOI was ROSIE – with me taking a couple more days to parse it: – first to dredge the bells of Bow from the recesses of my brain, then to discover ROSIE lea means tea and finally for my English friends to assure me Cider with ROSIE is a classic, not an obscure novel as I first thought.
I found the large number of new or obscure terms a bit of a frustration, and Neo was pushing the boundaries of meaning on several occasions. But, I guess a holiday is good time to send solvers repeatedly to google, if there is one.
In addition to the innovation and humour noted by Widdersbel, I found the clues all solidly constructed. But, this post is getting too long, so…..
…..Thanks Neo and thanks Widdersbel
I had to come back to this a couple of times to complete it. Some of these clues would have been beyond me to cold-solve, so getting a supply of crossers was the key for me, but from there, it was not very difficult. I was pleased to discover Hinge and Bracket as a bonus–enchantingly funny. Nice blog on a big puzzle.
Thanks Neo and Widdersbel! Lovely puzzle and a great blog!
OCCASIONAL (33)
As a child, I often wondered why my mum called it an occasional table. What is it the rest of the time?
🙂
Liked many. Top faves: DAY TRIPPER, HUE AND CRY and ADRIATIC SEA.
Thanks Neo for the New Year’s treat. I ran out of steam and used outside help to complete the last handful but I found much to like along the way. My top picks were NEW YEAR, STRATEGIST, SOLVER, SHORE LEAVE, IN ALL BUT NAME, and the & litish VENGEANCE. Thanks Widdersbel for the blog.
Many thanks for the blog, and for a splendidly extended grid. Three terms were completely unknown to me – ERYSIPELAS, ABSCISSA and AVESTAN. I enjoyed the festive clues but particularly liked DOUBLE AGENTS. Very witty. The reference to Garfield took me right back to the 80s.
Thanks Widders, and all for comments. Let’s hope 24 is a good ‘un.
Got everything apart from Garfield – I completely forgot his partiality to lasagna. Great puzzle with some excellent clues. I thought DOUBLE AGENT and INCANDESCENT particularly clever.