Three Rings by Franc

Puzzle explanation

The jumbled answers can be seen in the table below. The inventor was Jules Leotard (sixth ring) (the first recorded trapeze artist) who first appeared at the Cirque Napoleon in Paris (fourth ring). Other circus acts appeared in the second ring: acrobat, clown, fire-eater, horses, jumbo, lions, monkey and seals, in clued order. Initial letters of extra words spelt other trapeze artists, in clue order (Emmett Lee) Kelly, (Gustavo) Fratellini, (Tom) Major, (the) Codonas, (the) Concellos, (Tito) Gaona, (Harry) Houdini. The editors and setter apologise for the incorrect enumeration: there were five individuals rather than six. Some of these names were difficult to confirm, but this was not necessary for correctly completing the grid.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra word Answer Explanation
Radials
1 Kenyan JARAWS WAR in JAS <
2 Electric JARMAN JAR + MAN
3 legal JUICES JUS about ICE
4 lady JUICED (JUDGE with I/C for G) *
5 yoghurt SAMSHU MASH US *
6 fruit HAULMS HAULS about M’
7 Rodent RESULT RES + ULT
8 antihunt ULTRAS First and last letters & lit
9 Tedious CHORAL CH + ORAL
10 environment LAHORE LORE about (A + H)
11 lesser BOREAL BORE + AL
12 Latvian RABBLE Two definitions
13 Intimate ESCHAR SEARCH *
14 nothing CHEATS SHE-CAT *
15 infinite INFECT INSECT, F for S
16 Mozart FINITE FINI + TE
17 Aussie STARRY (Freddie) STARR + Y
18 judicial HEARTS SHE * about ART
19 obscure SEQUEL SELE about QU
20 referee SQUARE Three definitions
21 copper ELUTOR TO RULE *
22 ostrich LOURED LOURE + D
23 dental ORDEAL OR + DEAL
24 orange HEALED HE’D avout ALE
25 Nuclear ONAGER Hidden
26 Algerian ORANGE O + RANGE
27 sell STAMEN S + (TA MEN)
28 camel ENAMEL (LE + MANE) <
29 orbit OPPOSE OPPO’S + E
30 Nicaraguan POL POT (TOP LOP) <
31 convincingly OOLITE POLITE, leading letter P replaced by O
32 Ecstatic ROTOLO ROO about LOT <
33 Lebanese TALENT Two definitions
34 Lily SLATER SR about LATE
35 Oswald JESTER JEER about ST
36 Swedish PUREST UR in PEST, not PEST in UR
37 greenish MARMOT MARSH MOTHS – SH – SH <
38 Aunt’s ABROMA BRO in (AM + A)
39 Outdoor GOANNA GO + ANNA
40 not AGNAME AGNA(te) + ME
41 Arabian ORGIES OR + GIES
42 hilarious REIGNS Homophone (RAINS)
43 old SKREEN (K + R) in SEEN
44 ugly KEENER Cryptic definition, keen = “enthusiatic” and “to lament”
45 dance DEPLOY D + E + PLOY
46 Irish SCOPED SCOP + ED
47 never DEADLY (LADY + ED) *
48 interesting LOADED Two definitions, one referring to revolver
SECOND RING
1   ACROBAT ACRO- + BAT
2   CLOWN CN about LOW
3   FIRE-EATER FIR TREE * about EA
4   HORSES RS in HOES, reference rupees
5   JUMBO DUMBO, D changed to J
6   LIONS ION in LS
7   MONKEY K (king) in MONEY
8   SEALS SEAL + S
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