I was again more than happy to respond to Pete’s request for a stand-in for the Bank Holiday Jumbo puzzle – and again I’m lucky in that it’s a puzzle from one of my top favourite setters.
This was a real Bank Holiday treat, which I enjoyed lingering over, chipping away at it bit by bit, over a family holiday weekend, to a most satisfying finish. All the marks of Buccaneer’s trade are here in good measure – meticulously crafted clues, with lovely surfaces, covering a wide range of topics, with a generous amount of ingenuity and wit, and a handful of chewier parsings which I needed to revisit to round things off.
No chance of a list of favourites here: it would be easier to list the clues I didn’t like so much – and it wouldn’t be a long list. I hope you enjoyed the puzzle as much as I did.
Many thanks to Buccaneer (and Pete).
Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
13 One may be for or against power shift (11)
PREPOSITION
P (power) + REPOSITION (shift)
14 Reduce airtime in US broadcast (11)
MINIATURISE
An anagram (broadcast) of AIRTIME IN US
15 Travelling to China, or old part of Turkey (7)
ANTIOCH
An anagram (travelling) of TO CHINA
16 Bomb in Spanish, overwhelmed by exam’s outcome (7)
GRENADE
EN (Spanish for in) in GRADE (exam’s outcome)
17 Newsmen regularly catching some film star’s brief disappearance? (7)
ECLIPSE
Alternate letters of nEwSmEn round CLIP (some film)
18 Sky features new confession about my sexuality (5)
NIMBI
N (new) + I’M BI (confession about my sexuality)
19 Proposition in article about probing limits of occultism (7)
THEOREM
THE (definite article) + RE (about) in O[ccultis]M
20 Postman bagging 19th letter, anxious and e.g. stressed or worried (4,5)
PAST TENSE
PAT (postman) round S (19th letter) + TENSE (anxious)
(Condolences to non-UK solvers if the delightful Postman Pat has not reached your shores)
21 Possibly ballsy act? Rule it’s criminal (10)
TESTICULAR
An anagram (criminal) of ACT RULE IT’S
22 Former French first lady tours east Asian state (6)
BRUNEI
(Carla) BRUNI (former French first lady) round E (east)
23 During part of weekend, cruciverbalists cool down (5)
SWEAT
WE (cruciverbalists) in SAT[urday] (part of weekend)
26 Finally critique and pan feature of Star Wars films (4)
EWOK
[critiqu]E + WOK (pan)
Revered liberal ex-president, on track, moving leftwards (7)
GODLIKE
A reversal (moving leftwards) of DOG (track) + L (liberal) + IKE (ex-president)
29 Rather grey Liberal Party leader meeting Tory (5-4)
STEEL BLUE
(David) STEEL (former Liberal Party leader) + BLUE (Tory)
32 A number in Paris had yet to develop poet’s maxim (5,3,3)
SEIZE THE DAY
SEIZE (16 – number in Paris) + an anagram (to develop) of HAD YET
The translation of ‘Carpe diem’, from one of the Latin author Horace’s Odes
34 Banker, seized by underworld criminals, shakes (11)
DISCONCERTS
DIS (underworld) + CONS (criminals) round CERT (banker)
Collins – ‘banker: a person or thing that appears certain to win or be successful’ – a dead cert
36 Sweets with cream tucked into by poorly son (9)
PASTILLES
Ill (poorly) in PASTE (cream) + S (son)
38 No clue in cryptic form on piano composer (7)
POULENC
P (piano) + an anagram (in cryptic form) of NO CLUE
40 Day the FT’s miserable (4)
DOUR
D (day) + OUR (the FT’s)
42 Informal agreement with pretty vacuous, affluent worker (5)
YUPPY
YUP (informal agreement) + P[rett]Y
44 Price of, say, American bananas in recession (6)
DAMAGE
A reversal (in recession) of EG (say) + A (American) + MAD (bananas)
As in the expression, ‘What’s the damage?’
46 Manage trade, failing to import cars (10)
ADMINISTER
An anagram (failing) of TRADE round MINIS (cars)
48 Painting some light door frames (9)
PORTRAYAL
PORTAL (door) round (frames) RAY (some light)
This construction sometimes raises queries: it’s clear if we insert ‘that’ between ‘light’ and ‘door’
50 Flying monster, one very loudly breaking beam (7)
GRIFFIN
I (one) + FF (very loudly) in GRIN (beam)
51 Some cricket fans losing face (5)
OVERS
[l]OVERS (fans) minus first letter – face
53 £1000 a year for relative (7)
GRANDPA
GRAND (£1000) + P.A. (per annum – a year)
54 Composer in Indian garb eating pork pie (7)
SALIERI
SARI (Indian garb) round LIE (pork pie – rhyming slang)
Another composer, the rumoured rival of Mozart, featured in Peter Shaffer’s play, Amadeus
55 Perhaps making jerk vote against backing ruler (7)
YANKING
A reversal (backing) of NAY (vote against) + KING (ruler)
56 Conservative which Blair welcomes back in government (11)
THATCHERITE
THAT (which) + CHERIE (Blair) round [governmen]T
Another former ‘first lady’ – sort of: Cherie Blair is the wife of former Prime Minister Tony Blair
57 Celebrated Austrian musician holding jazzy chord (11)
SCHRÖDINGER
SINGER (musician) round an anagram (jazzy) of CHORD
Down
1 Injury from run in the country (6)
SPRAIN
R (run) in SPAIN (country)
2 Soporific accounts from paper poking into plot by politicians (7,7)
BEDTIME STORIES
TIMES (newspaper) poking into BED (plot) TORIES (politicians)
3 Eccentric in kimonos or beachwear (9)
MONOKINIS
An anagram (eccentric) of IN KIMONOS)
4 American’s nervous energy leaving top part of ladder (4-6)
HIGH-STRUNG
HIGH[e]ST (top minus e – energy) + RUNG (part of ladder)
North American equivalent of ‘highly strung’
5 Unaided, like Captain Hook? (6-6)
SINGLE-HANDED
Double / cryptic definition, referring to the pirate captain in ‘Peter Pan’
6 Forget name, led by a French king (7)
UNLEARN
UN (French ‘a’) + LEAR (Shakespearean king) + N (name)
7 Might one make mummy amble merrily by Nice’s sea (8)
EMBALMER
An anagram (merrily) of AMBLE + MER (Nice’s – i.e. French – sea)
8 Seat cover? (10)
UNDERPANTS
Cryptic definition
9 Like perspective on a religion plugged by European (4,1,5,2)
TAKE A SHINE
TAKE (perspective) + A + SHINTO (religion) round E (European)
10 One fired from bank pocketing, you heard, fifty pounds (6)
BULLET
BET (bank) (as in you could bank/bet on it) round U (you heard) L (fifty) L (pounds)
11 Cryptic indication of VIP getting old coin (8)
SIXPENCE
Just as it says on the tin: a cryptic (clever lift and separate) indication of VI (six) P (pence)
12 Hard stone removed from southern mountain (6)
SEVERE
S (southern) + EVERE[st] minus st (stone)
21 Those people inspiring old, posh rogue’s mystical belief (9)
THEOSOPHY
THEY (those people) round O (old) + an anagram (rogue) of POSH
23 Relief from the sun in Rome? Wonderful! (6)
SOLACE
SOL (Latin for ‘sun’) + ACE (wonderful)
24 Financial officer, with time, guaranteed to block raise (9)
TREASURER
T(time) + SURE (guaranteed) in REAR (to raise)
25 Eliminate mess from DIY — put in a new order (4,2)
TIDY UP
Anagram (in a new order) of DIY PUT
28 Finishes parody, bringing down leader of socialists (4,2)
ENDS UP
[s]END-UP (parody) with the initial letter of S[ocialists] brought down
30 Novel series of operas in London sports venue (4,2,3,5)
LORD OF THE RINGS
THE RING (Wagner’s series of operas) in LORD’S (London cricket venue)
Edit : see comment 18 – OF (from the clue) + THE RING (Wagner’s operas) inside LORD’S ( London Cricket venue) to give the definition: Tolkien’s novel series (The) LORD OF THE RINGS.
31 Appeal to cut tax, showing frivolity (6)
LEVITY
IT (sex appeal) in LEVY (tax)
33 Case of ordeal with passport, say, in blow for tripper (12)
HOLIDAYMAKER)
O[rdea]L in ID (passport, say) in HAYMAKER (Collins: ‘boxing slang a wild, swinging punch’)
35 Bit of a dash, running very fast pace (5,2,5)
SPEED OF LIGHT
SPEEDO (bit of a dash{board}) + FLIGHT (running)
37 Glib current politician, on record, interrupting thus (10)
SIMPLISTIC
I (current) MP (politician) + LIST (record) in SIC (thus)
39 Caught that chap longing to return marijuana one may be smoking (10)
CHIMNEYPOT
C (caught) HIM (that chap) + a reversal (to return) of YEN (longing) + POT (marijuana)
41 Drunk repeatedly in offie’s opening port wine (5,4)
PINOT NOIR
An anagram (drunk) of IN IN (repeatedly IN) + O (Offie’s opening) + PORT
‘Offie’ is slang for (UK) ‘off-licence’- a convenience store that sells alcohol that must be consumed off-premises.
43 Meat starter from rotisserie consumed by both parents and actor (5,3)
PARMA HAM
R[otisserie] in PA MA (both parents) + HAM (actor)
45 Comparatively merry American who serves e.g. girl in a state (8)
GIGGLIER
GI (American who serves, in the army) + an anagram (in a state) of EG GIRL
47 Northerly German city providing delicacy (7)
FINESSE
A reversal (northerly, in a down clue) of ESSEN (German city) + IF (providing)
48 Dump Ruth, embracing Gladys heartlessly (6)
PIGSTY
PITY (ruth) round G[lady]S
49 Edit article in Bild, given a lift by performance (6)
REDACT
A reversal (given a lift) of DER (article in Bild, a German newspaper) + ACT (performance)
52 Player of golf follows American around, getting mawkish (6)
SUGARY
A reversal (around) of US (American) + GARY (Player, who played golf!)
Blast it! I was away for the weekend and threw the paper out without reading it when I got home, not realising I was missing out on a jumbo……
Ah, that’s a shame, Martyn.
I forgot it was a UK Bank Holiday so I was delighted to find this jumbo puzzle from Buccaneer which certainly kept me on my toes.
I tackled it in a few sessions with the NE section proving most problematic. This was partly because I was fixated on Carla, (rather than Bruni) plus ‘e’ to make the Asian state of Kerala. Of course, it wouldn’t fit with EMBALMER and I doubted the setter would have misspelt Ms Bruni’s name as Karla (as in John Lecarre). Only when I got my LOI, TAKE A SHINE TO (what a sneaky definition) that I realised which state was required. My notes very much reflect what Eileen says; some very chewy parsing and frequent flashes of wit making this a very absorbing and clever puzzle.
Far too many ticks to mention so I’ll just cite PREPOSITION, PIGSTY, GRIFFIN, SIXPENCE and EWOK.
Thanks for a super puzzle, Buccaneer and to Eileen for standing in, well done on the mammoth task of blogging it!
Ah, I see I slipped up on 40a where I had SOUR for miserable with the ‘day’ being Sat or Sun (as on a calendar). I defer to Eileen here.
This was quite a lot to blog, approximately four regular puzzles’ worth. I did not understand what speedo had to do with “dash.” Over here, a Speedo is just a bathing suit. Easy enough to guess, but thanks for the clarification. My LOI was PINOT NOIR, which for some reason I was thinking was enumerated (6,3).
My own handwriting let me down 🙁 And not for the first time.
22a was my last clue but I was left staring at _ N _ N _ I
I had EMBALMER correctly worked out but given the grid was tiny and blurred, and with my poor eyesight, I saw my R as an N. 🙁
Thanks for the blog, I had to stop at the end of the Across clues. Schrodinger is less than celebrated , guilty of grooming female students and girls as young as 12 . This is not some modern Me-too thing , his behaviour was known to be appalling throughout his career and cost him academic placements.
I am not blaming the setter , I suspect that this is not widely known and they cannot be experts in every area.
cineraria@4 a Speedo is a (notable) bathing suit in the UK also, which is what makes the clue such fun. But we are being asked to think here about a speedo(meter) as part of a dash(board), as in a car.
I do like this FT tradition that’s emerged of a very big puzzle for the BH, rather than something where we are fitting 28 undefined breeds of sheep where they will fit across two grids.
Thanks very much for the puzzle, and for the explanation. 11d reminded me of a clue many years ago and which has always stuck in my mind: ‘VIP? (8)’
Cineraria @4 and Andrew B @7 – I would have been puzzled by ‘speedo’ and ‘dash’, too but, by one of those strange coincidences that happen here from time to time, both abbreviations appeared in a clue in a Guardian Prize puzzle that I blogged, just last month, with a rather different treatment. 😉
“Was relieved to get through second round in a bit of a dash (6)”
This was the perfect antidote to the Maskarade in the Guardian. Luckily I was staying with friends who get the FT and don’t do cryptics. Happy days 🙂
re 39D, I thought Chimney Pot was two words not one?
Mark A @11 – it didn’t occur to me to query it.
Which dictionary do you use? I’ve just consulted all three of mine and found it in Collins as one word and in SOED as a hyphenated word. Chambers is slightly ambiguous, as the entry straddles two lines but there is no hyphen. To check, I then typed ‘chimney pot’ into Chambers on-line dictionary, which came up with ‘ chimneypot noun a short hollow rounded fitting, usually made of pottery, that sits in the opening at the top of a chimney’!
Eileen, i use the Chambers app and failing that, good old google.
On the app It’s two words or hyphenated.
Would have thought Chambers would have been consistent between it’s various forms really, but it wouldn’t be the first time it’s not.
Sorry getting to this a little late as I’m on Mountain Time US…
Possible different parsing on 30D: Definition: Novel series. Word play: Of operas (of The Ring) in London sports venue (Lord’s)
I agree with Brian B@14 on 30D, now that I look at it again.
I think the possible confusion over 30D is that Lord Of The Rings is a series of novels, and The Ring (Cycle) is a series of operas.
To anyone still there
Apologies for the late response – I’m just in from a family evening, having left just minutes before Brian B’s comment @1 – ironically, after few comments during the day.
I carelessly omitted OF from the blog, which should have read ‘OF (from the clue) + THE RING (Wagner’s series of operas) inside LORD’S ( London Cricket venue) to give the definition Tolkien’s novel (The) LORD OF THE RINGS.
Brian B, Cineraria and Simon S – my apologies.
The definition is, of course, novel series, as pointed out by Brian @14, whose comment I misunderstood.
I have now amended the blog!
Had 7d as ’embalMED’ for ages, Med being the sea near Nice……