Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword 1405

Another relatively straightforward affair this week, lightly peppered with a few exotics to keep things interesting. You can find my completed grid below along with explanations of my solutions where I have them. I hope you find them useful.

Before we get cracking, a spot of housekeeping. If you have a recent Times Jumbo Cryptic crossword that has left you jiggered then my Just For Fun page might be of some use. If you dig on book reviews, then I have a bunch on my Reviews page.

To the solutions then. TTFN!

LP

Across clues

1. Successful entertainment bursts out with energy in rush (3,4)

Answer: POP STAR (i.e. “successful entertainer”). Solution is POPS (i.e. “bursts”) followed by TEAR (i.e. “[to] rush”) once the E has been removed (indicated by “out with energy”, E being a recognised abbreviation of “energy”), like so: POPS-TAR.

5. Novel about Churchill’s bunker? (3,6)

Answer: THE WARDEN (i.e. “[Anthony Trollope] novel”). When read as THE WAR DEN, the solution also satisfies “Churchill’s bunker”.

10. House warming’s ending with a fine foxtrot (4)

Answer: GAFF (i.e. “house”). Solution is G (i.e. “warming’s ending”, i.e. the last letter of “warming”) followed by A then F (a recognised abbreviation of “fine”) and F (“foxtrot” in the phonetic alphabet).

14. Put off edited satanic report (13)

Answer: PROCRASTINATE (i.e. “put off”). “Edited” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of SATANIC REPORT.

15. Two toys are nearly maximum price (3,6)

Answer: TOP DOLLAR (i.e. “maximum price”). Solution is [spinning] TOP and DOLL (i.e. “two toys”) followed by ARE with its last letter removed (indicated by “nearly”), like so: TOP-DOLL-AR.

16. Outfit with green energy (3-2-3-2)

Answer: GET-UP-AND-GO (i.e. “energy”). Solution is GET-UP (i.e. “outfit”) followed by AND (i.e. “with”) and GO (i.e. “green”, as in traffic lights).

17. No time for sexy poetry after hard alexandrines (6,5)

Answer: HEROIC VERSE (i.e. “alexandrines” – a kind of poem). Solution is EROTIC VERSE (i.e. “sexy poetry”) with the T removed (indicated by “no time for…” – T being a recognised abbreviation of “time”) and the remainder placed “after” H (a recognised abbreviation of “hard” used in grading pencils), like so: H-EROIC-VERSE.

18. Wife aggressively masculine, daughter not born (5)

Answer: DUTCH, which is Cockney rhyming slang for “wife”, supposedly after the Duchess of Fife. No, me neither, but then I had to have “Alans” explained to me in the phrase “calm down, keep your Alans on”. Knickers, in case you were wondering, after Alan Whicker. Anyway, I digress… Solution is BUTCH (i.e. “aggressively masculine” with the D replaced by B (indicated by “daughter not born” – D being a recognised abbreviation of “daughter”; B being a recognised abbreviation of “born”).

19. Hatred of how much senior management take (10)

Answer: EXECRATION (i.e. “hatred”). When read as EXEC RATION, the solution also satisfies “how much senior management [executives, or execs] take”.

21. Sea wall gone extremely rapidly in a storm (6)

Answer: GROYNE (i.e. “sea wall”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “in a storm”) of GONE and RY (i.e. “extremely rapidly”, i.e. the first and last letters of “extremely”).

23. Chief steward brought round tea for customer (9)

Answer: PURCHASER (i.e. “customer”). Solution is PURSER (i.e. “chief steward”) placed “round” CHA (i.e. “tea”), like so: PUR(CHA)SER.

25. Girl half rejecting modern times (5)

Answer: DONNA (i.e. “girl”). Solution is “half” of ANNO DOMINI (i.e. “modern times”) once reversed (indicated by “rejected”) like so: INIMO(D ONNA).

26. Piled up, a sea enveloping a ship (7)

Answer: AMASSED (i.e. “piled up”). Solution is A MED (i.e. “a sea”, specifically the Mediterranean) wrapped around or “enveloping” A SS (i.e. “a ship” – SS is a recognised abbreviation of “steamship” or “screw steamer”), like so: A-M(A-SS)ED.

28. What some loose women had on highly embarrassed landlord? (7,6)

Answer: SCARLET LETTER. Solution satisfies “what some loose women had on” – being “a scarlet-coloured letter A worn by women convicted of adultery in the Puritan communities of New England” (thank you, Chambers) – and “highly embarrassed landlord” – a landlord being one who lets property.

31. Poet’s good book very cheap? (4,5)

Answer: EZRA POUND (i.e. “poet”). Taking EZRA to be one of the books of The Bible, and POUND to be an amount of currency, the solution also satisfies “good book very cheap”.

33. Flag officer goes by state during round of duty (9)

Answer: TRICOLOUR (i.e. three-coloured “flag” e.g. of France). Solution is COL (i.e. “officer”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “colonel”) placed after RI (i.e. “state”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of Rhode Island), and both placed in or “during” TOUR (i.e. “round of [military] duty”), like so: T(RI-COL)OUR.

35. Sympathetic as firm friend admits strong agitation (13)

Answer: COMPASSIONATE (i.e. “sympathetic”). Solution is CO (i.e. “firm”, as in a recognised abbreviation of “company”) and MATE (i.e. “friend”) wrapped around or “admitting” PASSION (i.e. “strong agitation”), like so: CO-M(PASSION)ATE.

37. A number working across one’s back for stiffness (7)

Answer: TENSION (i.e. “stiffness”). Solution is TEN (i.e. “a number”) and ON (i.e. “working”) wrapped around or placed “across” I’S (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one’s”) once it has been reversed (indicated by “back”), like so: TEN-(S’I)-ON.

38. Affair takes one out of office work (5)

Answer: FLING (i.e. “affair”). Solution is FILING (i.e. “office work”) with the first I removed (indicated by “takes [Roman numeral] one out of…”).

40. Think about where to move: coast (9)

Answer: FREEWHEEL (i.e. “[to] coast”). Solution is FEEL (i.e. “think”) placed “about” an anagram (indicated by “to move”) of WHERE, like so: F(REEWH)EEL.

42. Lock up enclosure ahead of time (6)

Answer: ENCAGE (i.e. “[to] lock up”). Solution is ENC (a recognised abbreviation of “enclosure” used in formal correspondence) followed by AGE (i.e. “time”).

44. Piles on underclothes one may get down to (5,5)

Answer: “…one may get down to” BRASS TACKS. Solution is STACKS (i.e. “piles”) placed after BRAS (i.e. “underclothes”), like so: BRAS-STACKS.

46. Very much gas around – died (2,3)

Answer: NO END (i.e. “very much”). Solution is NEON (i.e. “gas”) reversed (indicated by “around”) and followed by D (a recognised abbreviation of “died”), like so: NOEN-D.

48. One will go for a spin, churning up terrible mud (6,5)

Answer: TUMBLE DRIER (i.e. “one will go for a spin”). “Churning up” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of TERRIBLE MUD.

50. Soldier at attention; Marlowe, for example (7,3)

Answer: PRIVATE EYE (i.e. “Marlowe, for example”, as in Raymond Chandler’s hard-boiled and immensely readable shamus – seriously, The Big Sleep should be near the top of your TBR pile if you’ve never read it, with Farewell, My Lovely placed underneath it). Solution is PRIVATE (i.e. “solider”) followed by EYE (i.e. “attention”, as in “to have one’s attention”).

52. Angry reaction engulfing small character (9)

Answer: BACKSLASH (i.e. a typographical “character”). Solution is BACKLASH (i.e. “angry reaction”) wrapped around or “engulfing” S (a recognised abbreviation of “small” used in clothing sizes), like so: BACK(S)LASH.

53. Said to have gone out wearing fleece, unlikely to change? (4-2-3-4)

Answer: DYED-IN-THE-WOOL (i.e. “unlikely to change”). “Said” indicates homophone, so the solution could be read as DIED IN THE WOOL, satisfying “to have gone out wearing fleece”.

54. Austen novel’s central characters take a step back for another woman (4)

Answer: ELLA (i.e. “woman” as in a woman’s name – a little disappointing given we’ve already had a name used as a solution, but there you go…) Solution is EMMA (i.e. “Austen’s novel”) with the “central characters” MM replaced by LL (indicated by “take a step back” – L immediately precedes M in the alphabet).

55. Frightfully secretive after short retreat (9)

Answer: HIDEOUSLY (i.e. “frightfully”). Solution is SLY (i.e. “secretive”) placed “after” HIDEOUT (i.e. “retreat”) once the last letter has been removed (indicated by “short”), like so: HIDEOU-SLY.

56. Tried to get help after letter read out (7)

Answer: ESSAYED (i.e. “tried”). “Read out” indicates homophones. Solution is ESS (i.e. “letter”, specifically the letter S) and AID (i.e. “help”) when spoken together.

Down clues

1. Immature creature raised in a year (4)

Answer: PUPA (i.e. “immature creature”). Solution is UP (i.e. “raised”) placed “in” PA (i.e. “a year”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “per annum”), like so: P(UP)A.

2. One in favour of street rioting? (9)

Answer: PROTESTER. Solution is PRO (i.e. “in favour of”) followed by an anagram (indicated by “rioting”) of STREET, like so: PRO-TESTER. Within the context of the clue, a protester could be one in favour of street rioting. I’m sure some are peaceful, though.

3. Story in the Mirror? (7,3,7,5)

Answer: THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, a “story” by Lewis Carroll. A “mirror” is also called a looking glass (ignore the misleading capitalisation). You get the idea.

4. Deer’s round bottom, reddish (7)

Answer: ROSEATE (i.e. “reddish”). Solution is ROE (i.e. “deer”) placed “round” SEAT (i.e. “bottom”), like so: RO(SEAT)E.

5. What master mason has leads to serious questioning (5,6)

Answer: THIRD DEGREE. Solution satisfies “what master mason has” – relating to the three degrees or stages of Freemasonry, that of amateur, journeyman and master – and “serious questioning”.

6. Besotted with slinky demeanour (9)

Answer: ENAMOURED (i.e. “besotted”). “Slinky” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of DEMEANOUR.

7. Drink at pub for leading character (5)

Answer: ALEPH, which is the first letter of the Phoenician and Hebrew alphabets (pats Chambers). So, “leading character”. Solution is ALE (i.e. “drink”) followed by PH (i.e. “pub”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “public house”). One I got purely from the wordplay, to be honest.

8. Go off outside, denied kiss during tryst (11)

Answer: DETERIORATE (i.e. “go off”). Solution is EXTERIOR (i.e. “outside”) with the X removed (indicated by “denied kiss”) and the remainder placed in or “during” DATE (i.e. “tryst”), like so: D(ETERIOR)ATE. An easier get than it should be, the solution having also appeared in last week’s grid as near as dammit.

9. A need for baby, so sleep with cousin (6)

Answer: NAPKIN (i.e. “a need for baby”). Solution is NAP (i.e. “sleep”) followed by KIN (i.e. “cousin”).

11. Good to move down exhibition hall showing sensitivity (7)

Answer: ALLERGY (i.e. “sensitivity”). Solution is GALLERY (i.e. “exhibition hall”) with the G (a recognised abbreviation of “good”) “moved down” a number of notches – this being a down clue.

12. Police perhaps paid to break hunger strike? (5-4)

Answer: FORCE-FEED (i.e. “to break hunger strike”). Solution is FORCE (i.e. “police perhaps”) followed by FEED (i.e. “paid” – a bit weak, but the usage is in the dictionary, so there you go).

13. Having run down, rare warmth envelopes players (13,9)

Answer: WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS (i.e. “players”). “Having run” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of DOWN RARE WARMTH ENVELOPES. Rather well worked.

18. Start to type one’s newspaper article up, to put by for later (7)

Answer: DEPOSIT (i.e. “to put by for later”). Solution is T (i.e. “start to type”, i.e. the first letter of “type”) followed by I’S (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one’s”) then OP-ED (i.e. “newspaper article”). The whole is then reversed (indicated by “up”, this being a down clue), like so: DE-PO-S’I-T.

20. So much French booze leads to furious scene (7)

Answer: TANTRUM (i.e. “furious scene”). Solution is TANT (i.e. “so much French” – “tant” is French for “so” or “so much” – Google Translate kind of backs it up, I guess (shrugs and gets on with life)) followed by RUM (i.e. “booze”).

22. Around part of eye, note the foreign pattern of stitches (4,4)

Answer: FAIR ISLE, a type of knitwear design (i.e. “pattern of stitches”). Solution is FA (i.e. “note”, in the do-ray-me style) and LE (i.e. “the foreign”, as in the French for “the”) placed “around” IRIS (i.e. “part of eye”), like so: FA-(IRIS)-LE. Another I got purely from the wordplay.

24. Arrange fielding position for critical moment of match (3,5)

Answer: SET POINT. Solution satisfies “arrange fielding position” in a game of cricket, and “critical moment of match”, e.g. in tennis.

27. One bowing to audience in Buddhist shrine (5)

Answer: STUPA (i.e. “Buddhist shrine”). “To audience” indicates homophone. Solution is a homophone of STOOPER (i.e. “one bowing”). Chalk one to my Bradford’s here.

29. Chinese perhaps like Scotsman? (5)

Answer: ASIAN. Solution satisfies “Chinese perhaps” and, when written as AS IAN, “like Scotsman”. Setters do like using “Ian” to mean Scotsman, which I’ve always thought a little weak.

30. Alarms heard when no poisonous gas remains in cans (7)

Answer: TOCSINS (i.e. “alarms” – a new one on me, but it’s there in the dictionary). Solution is O CS (i.e. “no poisonous gas” with O representing zero. Hmm, I’d say CS gas was more of an irritant than poisonous. Yes, I’m splitting hairs. What of it?) placed “in” TINS (i.e. “cans”), like so: T(O-CS)INS.

32. Fought – as road was widened – to be heard? (7)

Answer: DUELLED (i.e. “fought”). “To be heard” indicates homophone. Solution is a homophone of DUALLED (i.e. “road was widened”, as in a single carriage road being widened to become a dual carriageway).

34. Judge vase one to discard, house being this? (11)

Answer: REFURNISHED. Solution is REF (i.e. “judge”, as in a recognised abbreviation of “referee”) followed by URN (i.e. “vase”) then I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) and SHED (i.e. “discard”). Within the context of the clue, you may well discard a vase when refurnishing one’s house.

36. Power to arouse emotion when one collapses fifty and active (11)

Answer: AFFECTIVITY (i.e. “power to arouse emotion”). “Collapses” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of FIFTY and ACTIVE.

37. Soprano suppresses a tear regularly, not beyond recovery (9)

Answer: TREATABLE (i.e. “not beyond recovery”). Solution is TREBLE (i.e. “soprano” – it’s in the dictionary, non-musos) wrapped around or “suppressing” A and TA (i.e. “tear regularly”, i.e. every other letter of TEAR), like so: TRE(A-TA)BLE.

39. Obtained work on ship to produce magazine perhaps (2,2,5)

Answer: GO TO PRESS (i.e. “produce magazine perhaps”). Solution is GOT (i.e. “obtained”) followed by OP (i.e. “work”, being a recognised abbreviation of “opus”; also “operation” if you fancy) then RE (i.e. “on”, both taken to mean “about” or “concerning”) and SS (i.e. “ship” – as mentioned before, this is a recognised abbreviation of “steamship” or “screw steamer”), like so: GOT-OP-RE-SS.

41. All energy, extremely desirable at first in youth (9)

Answer: EVERYBODY (i.e. “all”). Solution is E (a recognised abbreviation of “energy”) followed by VERY (i.e. “extremely”) and D (i.e. “desirable at first”, i.e. the first letter of “desirable”) once it has been placed “in” BOY (i.e. “youth”), like so: E-VERY-BO(D)Y.

43. Throw speaker’s aid into burner, causing scream? (7)

Answer: COMICAL (i.e. “causing scream [of laughter]”). Solution is MIC (i.e. “speaker’s aid”, being a recognised abbreviation of “microphone”) placed “into” COAL (i.e. “burner”), like so: CO(MIC)AL.

45. To keep off alcohol, mostly locked away port (7)

Answer: SEATTLE (i.e. “port”). Solution is TT (i.e. “off alcohol”, i.e. a recognised abbreviation of “teetotal”) “kept” in SEALED (i.e. “locked away”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “mostly”), like so: SEA(TT)LE.

47. Sorcerer initially hated terrible old curse (6)

Answer: SDEATH (i.e. “old curse”, supposedly short for “God’s death” – I love it, but I strongly suspect this wasn’t the first solution the setter put in the grid…). Solution is S (i.e. “sorcerer initially”, i.e. the first letter of “sorcerer”) followed by an anagram (indicated by “terrible”) of HATED, like so: S-DEATH. One of those times where I jumped into the dictionary hoping to see a word – any word! – that began with SD. Happily, there it was.

49. Travelled over for round-up (5)

Answer: RODEO (i.e. “round-up”). Solution is RODE (i.e. “travelled”) followed by O (a recognised abbreviation of “over” used in cricket).

51. Happy to wander round lake (4)

Answer: GLAD (i.e. “happy”). Solution is GAD (i.e. “to wander”; also one of my favourite words because you needed to know that) placed “round” L (a recognised abbreviation of “lake”), like so: G(L)AD.