After making something of a Henry Halls of Saturday’s puzzle, it’s nice to quickly cleanse the palate with another Times Jumbo Cryptic! It took me a little while to find an entry point (in this case GRACE-AND-FAVOUR, weirdly) but once I had a few filled in it was reasonably steady progress to the end. Though this was another grid guilty of repeating a recent clue, it was a good puzzle overall.
Anyhoo, some housekeeping as ever. If you have a recent Times Jumbo Cryptic for which you’d like a solution then my Just For Fun page could be just the ticket. If you’re a horror reader then my Reviews page might have something that appeals.
And so to my completed grid. You’ll find explanations of my solutions below where I have them. I hope you find them useful. TTFN!
LP
Across clues
1. Engineer endlessly longing to be cloaked in obscurity (9)
Answer: MACHINIST (i.e. “engineer”). Solution is ACHING (i.e. “longing”) with the last letter removed (indicated by “endlessly”) “cloaked in” MIST (i.e. “obscurity”), like so: M(ACHIN)IST.
6. Is drink placed in old hat wasted? (10)
Answer: DISSIPATED (i.e. “wasted”). Solution is IS and SIP (i.e. “drink”) “placed in” DATED (i.e. “old hat”), like so: D(IS-SIP)ATED.
12. Startle artilleryman, heading off before end-of-war celebrations (7)
Answer: UNNERVE (i.e. “startle”). Solution is GUNNER (i.e. “artilleryman”) with its first letter removed (indicated by “heading off”) and followed by VE (i.e. “end-of-war celebrations”, specifically Victory in Europe, or VE day), like so: UNNER-VE.
13. Nice way of describing of a hedonist? (3,6)
Answer: BON VIVANT (i.e. “hedonist”). “Nice”, being a city in France, indicates the solution is a French phrase.
14. I brought in copies done over in shade of brown (5)
Answer: SEPIA (i.e. “shade of brown”). Solution is APES (i.e. “copies”) reversed (indicated by “done over”) and “bringing in” I, like so: SEP(I)A.
16. Secret plans for monasteries under maritime directions? (6,6)
Answer: SEALED ORDERS (i.e. “maritime directions”). Solution riffs on how SEALED is another word for “secret” and how ORDERS is another word for “monasteries”.
17. Non-participant, beginning to watch everyone, beginning to feel less prominent (10)
Answer: WALLFLOWER (i.e. “non-participant”). Solution is W (i.e. “beginning to watch”, i.e. the first letter of “watch”) followed by ALL (i.e. “everyone”) then F (i.e. “beginning to feel”, i.e. the first letter of “feel”) and finally LOWER (i.e. “less prominent”). A clue that scans really well.
19. As adept with pen as with sword? (5,2,3,4)
Answer: QUICK ON THE DRAW. Solution riffs on differing meanings of the word “draw”: how can draw with a pen, and how one draws their sword. You get the idea.
22. Appropriate to involve Times, sure to revise regular items (8)
Answer: FIXTURES (i.e. “regular items”). Solution is FIT (i.e. “appropriate”) “involving” X (i.e. “Times”, as in the multiplication symbol) and then followed by an anagram (indicated by “to revise”) of SURE, like so: FI(X)T-URES.
24. Suppose administrator seizing power will want end to unrest (6)
Answer: EXPECT (i.e. “suppose”). Solution is EXEC (i.e. “administrator”, short for executive or executor) “seizing” P (a recognised abbreviation of “power”) and then followed by T (i.e. “end to unrest”, i.e. the last letter of “unrest”), like so: EX(P)EC-T.
25. Dairy product down? Something said to produce a smile (4,6)
Answer: BLUE CHEESE (i.e. “dairy product”). Solution is BLUE (i.e. “down”) followed by CHEESE (i.e. “something said [to photographer] to produce a smile”).
26. Much enthusiasm about brother finding wild horse (5)
Answer: ZEBRA (i.e. “wild horse”). Solution is ZEAL (i.e. “enthusiasm”) with the last letter removed (indicated by “much”, as in not quite all) and then placed “about” BR (a recognised abbreviation of “brother”), like so: ZE(BR)A.
29. Perhaps, the Opposition article backed by Frenchman (4)
Answer: THEM (i.e. “perhaps, the Opposition”, as in “them and us”). Solution is THE (i.e. “article”) “backed by” M (i.e. “Frenchman”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “monsieur”). This was the last clue I solved and took a bit of mulling over. Well played.
30. Puritan accepting new money, making an impression (8)
Answer: PRINTING (i.e. “making an impression” – impression in this case being a single printing of a book). Solution is PRIG (i.e. “puritan”) wrapped around or “accepting” N (a recognised abbreviation of “new”) and TIN (i.e. a slang term for “money”), like so: PRI(N-TIN)G.
32. Function hosting a performance offering little amusement (9)
Answer: SATURNINE (i.e. “offering little amusement”). Solution is SINE (i.e. “function”, as in one of the six trigonometric functions in mathematics) “hosting” A and TURN (i.e. “performance”), like so: S(A-TURN)INE.
34. The same may be represented in dialect (9)
Answer: IDENTICAL (i.e. “the same”). “May be represented” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of IN DIALECT.
35. Atmospheric phenomenon? Study source of turbulence and fume (8)
Answer: CONTRAIL, short for a condensation trail, sometimes used to draw large penises in the sky (i.e. “atmospheric phenomenon” – I’m taking this to mean “something that can be observed in the sky” rather than anything more exotic). Solution is CON (an archaic word meaning “study” often used by setters) followed by T (i.e. “source of turbulence”, i.e. the first letter of “turbulence”) and then RAIL (i.e. “[to] fume”).
36. Tree? China has millions (4)
Answer: PALM (i.e. “tree”). Solution is PAL (i.e. “China”, as in the Cockney rhyming slang “china plate – mate” – ignore the misleading capitalisation) followed by M (a recognised abbreviation of “millions”).
39. Sign of error in new rate for special edition of paper (5)
Answer: EXTRA (i.e. “special edition of paper”, as in “Extra! Extra! Read all about it!”). Solution is X (i.e. “sign of error”, as in crossing something out) placed “in” an anagram (indicated by “new”) of RATE, like so: E(X)TRA.
40. Article in verse including record in sorry state (10)
Answer: APOLOGETIC (i.e. “in sorry state”). Solution is A (i.e. “article”) followed by POETIC (i.e. “in verse”) which is wrapped around or “including” LOG (i.e. “record”), like so: A-PO(LOG)ETIC. While this clue doesn’t scan particularly well, I did rather like the “in sorry state” bit.
42. Remarkable note penned by prisoner is handed over (6)
Answer: SIGNAL (i.e. “remarkable” – I get it, but I can’t think of a decent sentence where you’d use one rather than the other). Solution is N (a recognised abbreviation of “note”) placed in or “penned by” LAG (i.e. “prisoner”) and IS which have been reversed (indicated by “handed over”), like so: SI-G(N)AL.
44. Sporting contest: plan to finish early or late in the day (8)
Answer: EVENTIDE (i.e. “late in the day”). Solution is EVENT (i.e. “sporting contest”) followed by IDEA (i.e. “plan”) which has its final letter removed (indicated by “to finish early”), like so: EVENT-IDE. I rather liked this one.
46. Action subsequently engaging lawyers to succeed in arbitration? (6,1,7)
Answer: STRIKE A BARGAIN (i.e. “arbitration”). Solution is STRIKE (i.e. “action”) followed by A BAR GAIN (i.e. “lawyers to succeed” – the legal profession is sometimes referred to as the Bar). Sound familiar? That’s because this solution also appeared in last week’s puzzle. Not only that, but it also appeared in virtually the same position on the grid! Come on, ed!
48. Very annoyed: silver reduced into small pieces retaining only 40% of value (10)
Answer: AGGRAVATED (i.e. “very annoyed”, albeit informally lest we aggravate the pedants). Solution is AG (chemical symbol of “silver”) followed by GRATED (i.e. “reduced into small pieces”) which is wrapped around or “retaining” VA (i.e. “40% of value”, specifically the first two letters), like so: AG-GRA(VA)TED.
49. Erotica? Men with it possibly showing some speed in response (8,4)
Answer: REACTION TIME (i.e. “showing some speed in response”). “Possibly” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of EROTICA MEN and IT.
53. Blame hard to be accepted by group of thinkers? (5)
Answer: THANK (i.e. “[to] blame”). Solution is H (a recognised abbreviation of “hard” used to grade pencils) placed in or being “accepted by” TANK (i.e. “group of thinkers”, as in a think tank), like so: T(H)ANK.
54. Public official: origins linked to male in Arab state (9)
Answer: OMBUDSMAN (i.e. “public official”). Solution is BUDS (i.e. “origins”) followed by M (a recognised abbreviation of “male”) placed “in” OMAN (i.e. “Arab state”), like so: OM(BUDS-M)AN.
55. I name support from near the coast (7)
Answer: INSHORE (i.e. “near the coast”). Solution is I then N (a recognised abbreviation of “name”) followed by SHORE [up…] (i.e. “support”).
56. I agree: positive response seen in territory in the past (10)
Answer: YESTERYEAR (i.e. “in the past”). Solution is YES (i.e. “I agree”) followed by YEA (i.e. “positive response”) once it has been placed “in” TERR (a recognised abbreviation of “Territory”), like so: YES-TER(YEA)R.
57. Prepared with a line about study describing many office jobs? (9)
Answer: SEDENTARY (i.e. “describing many office jobs”, meaning lots of sitting down). Solution is SET (i.e. “prepared”) followed by A and RY (i.e. “line”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “railway”), all wrapped “about” DEN (i.e. “study [room]”), like so: SE(DEN)T-A-RY.
Down clues
1. Fellow, one with a passion (5)
Answer: MANIA (i.e. “passion”). Solution is MAN (i.e. “fellow”) followed by I (Roman numeral “one”) and A.
2. Take control of stimulus – something footballer takes (6,4)
Answer: CORNER KICK (i.e. “something footballer takes”). Solution is CORNER (i.e. “take control of”) and KICK (i.e. “stimulus”).
3. Reserve to move briskly, feeling the cold (3-5)
Answer: ICE-BOUND (i.e. “feeling the cold” – a bit weak this, in my less-than-humble opinion. Ask the crews of HMSs Erebus and Terror and they might have given you a different perspective). Solution is ICE (i.e. “reserve”, as in having an icy nature) followed by BOUND (i.e. “to move briskly”).
4. Plant grew tall, avoiding cold lake (5)
Answer: IMBED (i.e. “[to] plant”). Solution is CLIMBED (i.e. “grew tall”) with the C (a recognised abbreviation of “cold”) and L (ditto “lake”) removed (indicated by “avoiding”).
5. Town in Kent has fashionable people cross (9)
Answer: TONBRIDGE (i.e. “town in Kent”). Solution is TON (i.e. “fashionable people” – setters quite often like to use this in their clues. It’s in the dictionary, though I still haven’t seen a sentence using it. Anyway…) followed by BRIDGE (i.e. “[to] cross”).
6. Daughter, not fully mature, weak character (4)
Answer: DRIP (i.e. “weak character”). Solution is D (a recognised abbreviation of “daughter”) followed by RIPE (i.e. “mature”) with the final letter removed (indicated by “not fully”), like so: D-RIP.
7. Pretending to have support of a new religious figure (6)
Answer: SHAMAN (i.e. “religious figure”). Solution is SHAM (i.e. “pretending”) followed by or “having support of” – this being a down clue – A and N (a recognised abbreviation of “new”).
8. “Elitist leaning” may represent us (14)
Answer: INTELLIGENTSIA. “May represent us” indicates anagram. Solution is a rather fitting anagram of ELITIST LEANING. Within the context of the solution, the intelligentsia may well represent this. Very good, this. Best clue we’ve had for a couple of months.
9. More than one sailor loves to carry an instrument in the coldest temperature (8,4)
Answer: ABSOLUTE ZERO (i.e. “the coldest temperature”). Solution is ABS (i.e. “more than one sailor”, specifically Able Seaman made plural) followed by O and ZERO (i.e. “loves”, both plays on how “love” is zero in tennis) “carrying” LUTE (i.e. “[musical] instrument”), like so: ABS-O-(LUTE)-ZERO.
10. Enable soldiers to turn up, bearing military captive (7)
Answer: EMPOWER (i.e. “enable”). Solution is REME (i.e. “soldiers”, specifically the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) reversed (indicated by “to turn up”, this being a down clue) and wrapped around or “bearing” POW (i.e. “military captive”, specifically a Prisoner Of War), like so: EM(POW)ER.
11. Later question beginning to engage some number in smaller group (10)
Answer: SUBSEQUENT (i.e. “later”). Solution is QU (a recognised abbreviation of “question”) followed by E (i.e. “beginning to engage”, i.e. the first letter of “engage”) and N (i.e. “some [variable] number”) all placed “in” SUBSET (i.e. “smaller group”), like so: SUBSE(QU-E-N)T.
15. Love coming in fast – the stuff of jets and rockets (9)
Answer: AEROSPACE (i.e. “the stuff of jets and rockets”). Solution is EROS (the god of “love”) “coming into” APACE (i.e. “fast”), like so: A(EROS)PACE.
18. Source of disease: head about to keep note (8)
Answer: PATHOGEN (i.e. “source of disease”). This took a while to get, but the solution is PATE (i.e. “head”) placed “about” HOG (i.e. “to keep”) and followed by N (a recognised abbreviation of “note”), like so: PAT(HOG)E-N.
20. Instrument in Apollo lander: I’m restrained about that (9)
Answer: IMPLEMENT (i.e. “instrument”). Solution is I’M PENT (i.e. “I’m restrained”) placed “about” LEM (i.e. “Apollo Lander”, specifically a Lunar Excursion Module), like so: IM-P(LEM)ENT. Yes, I looked up “LEM”.
21. Hold hard – young chap has fallen badly in between (4,6)
Answer: HALF NELSON (i.e. “[wrestling] hold”). Solution is H (a recognised abbreviation of “hard” covered earlier) and SON (i.e. “young chap” – a bit of a stretch, this) with an anagram (indicated by “badly”) of FALLEN placed “in between”, like so: H-(ALFNEL)-SON.
23. China’s problem with crime (3,7)
Answer: TEA SERVICE (i.e. “china” – again, ignore the misleading capitalisation). Solution is TEASER (i.e. “problem”) followed by VICE (i.e. “crime”).
27. National symbol? Scots own up after it’s found in refuse (9)
Answer: BRITANNIA (i.e. “national symbol”). Another that took some getting, but the solution is AIN (i.e. “Scots own”, i.e. Scottish form of the word “own”) reversed (indicated by “up”, this being a down clue) and placed “after” IT once it has been put “in” BRAN (the coarser part or “refuse” of anything), like so: BR(IT)AN-NIA.
28. Opener to meal with taste, left out as expression of sovereign’s thanks (5-3-6)
Answer: GRACE-AND-FAVOUR, which is “of a residence belonging to the British sovereign and granted rent-free to a person of importance” (i.e. “sovereign’s thanks”). So there you go. Solution is GRACE (i.e. “opener to meal”) then AND (i.e. the “with” bit) and FLAVOUR (i.e. “taste”) with the L (a recognised abbreviation of “left”) removed (indicated by “left out”).
31. Isle of Grain not entirely undeveloped (8)
Answer: INCHOATE (i.e. “underdeveloped”). Solution is INCH (a Scottish or Gaelic word for “island” often used by setters) followed by OATEN (i.e. “of grain”) with the final letter removed (indicated by “not entirely”), like so: INCH-OATE.
33. Sailor following Channel, and French providing restriction (12)
Answer: STRAITJACKET (i.e. “restriction”). Solution is JACK (one of several words meaning “sailor”) placed after or “following” STRAIT (i.e. “channel”) and itself followed by ET (i.e. “and French”, i.e. the French for “and”), like so: STRAIT-JACK-ET.
34. One cricket side taking article into practice area? That’s awkward (9)
Answer: INELEGANT (i.e. “awkward”). Solution is I (Roman numeral “one”) then LEG (i.e. “cricket side”) and AN (i.e. “article”) “taken into” NET (i.e. “practice area” used in cricket and other ball games), like so: I-NE(LEG-AN)T.
37. Paper upset about delay identifying shirker (10)
Answer: MALINGERER (i.e. “shirker”). Solution is REAM (i.e. “paper”) reversed (indicated by “upset”, this being a down clue) and placed “about” LINGER (i.e. “delay”), like so: MA(LINGER)ER.
38. End up accepting witches I found in Pacific islands (10)
Answer: MICRONESIA (i.e. “Pacific islands”). Solution is AIM (i.e. “end”) reversed (indicated by “up”, this being a down clue) and placed around or “accepting” CRONES (i.e. “witches”) and I, like so: MI(CRONES-I)A.
41. Outermost layer is primed to disintegrate after input of energy (9)
Answer: EPIDERMIS (i.e. “outermost layer”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “to disintegrate”) of IS PRIMED “after input of” E (a recognised abbreviation of “energy”), like so: EPID(E)RMIS.
43. Help is turning up after former schoolmate gets stuck on Northern rock (8)
Answer: OBSIDIAN (i.e. “rock”). Solution is AID (i.e. “help”) and IS reversed (indicated by “turning up”, this being a down clue) and placed after OB (i.e. “former schoolmate”, specifically an Old Boy). The whole is then followed by N (a recognised abbreviation of “northern”), like so: OB-(SI-DIA)-N.
45. Go wild after English impress deeply (7)
Answer: ENGRAVE (i.e. “impress deeply”). Solution is RAVE (i.e. “go wild”) placed “after” ENG (a recognised abbreviation of “English”), like so: ENG-RAVE.
47. Weak grouse sent skyward ends in trivial chase (6)
Answer: FEEBLE (i.e. “weak”). Solution is BEEF (i.e. “grouse”, as in a complaint) reversed (indicated by “sent skywards”, this being a down clue) and followed by LE (i.e. “ends in trivial chase”, i.e. the last letters of “trivial” and “chase”), like so: FEEB-L-E.
50. Punished, or preserved half-heartedly (5)
Answer: CANED (i.e. “published”). Solution is CANNED (i.e. “preserved”) with one of its middle Ns removed (indicated by “half-heartedly”).
51. Club comedy, ultimately satire (5)
Answer: IRONY (i.e. “satire”). Solution is IRON (i.e. “[golf] club”) followed by Y (i.e. “comedy, ultimately”, i.e. the last letter of “comedy”).
52. IT expert losing top in German river (4)
Answer: ODER (i.e. “German river”). Solution is CODER (i.e. “IT expert”) with the first letter removed (indicated by “losing top”). One I had to look up, if I’m honest.
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