Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword 1456

A tricky one this week that required a little more patience in places than I was willing to give. General knowledge is not a high priority of mine, as will become apparent in some of my answers. My Bradford’s is taking a well earned breather, cooling off in the fridge.

Anyway, enough blathering. You are here for the answers, and as ever you’ll find mine below along with explanations where I have them. I hope you find them useful. If a previous Times Jumbo Cryptic has done for you, then my Just For Fun page might help you, with links to the last 100+ of these things. While you are here I’ve got some dusty old book reviews and a story of mine knocking about the place too.

Till next time, stay safe, mask up and keep flying the flag for the NHS and key workers everywhere.

LP

Across clues

1. Channels in motorway area provide equine with water, not fresh (4,5)

Answer: MASS MEDIA (i.e. “channels”). Solution is MI (i.e. “motorway”, specifically the M1 with the 1 replaced by its Roman numeral equivalent) and A (a recognised abbreviation of “area”) wrapped around or “providing” ASS (i.e. “equine”) and MED (i.e. “water, not fresh”, i.e. the Mediterranean Sea – seas being a smidge saltier than fresh water rivers and streams), like so: M(ASS-MED)I-A.

6. What may be read in a church in the country? (7)

Answer: The Book of MALACHI (i.e. “what may be read in a church”). Solution is A and CH (a recognised abbreviation of “church”) placed “in” MALI (i.e. “country”), like so: MAL(A-CH)I.

10. Shut up, being a century old (5)

Answer: CAGED (i.e. “shut up”). Solution is C (a recognised abbreviation of “century”) followed by AGED (i.e. “old”).

13. Make lace to cover plain silk fabric (7)

Answer: TABARET (i.e. “silk fabric”). Solution is TAT (i.e. “make lace”) wrapped around or “covering” BARE (i.e. “plain”), like so: TA(BARE)T.

14. Comic’s funny stagger (7)

Answer: GAGSTER (i.e. “comic”). “Funny” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of STAGGER.

15. One may stand for this new idea, not local (7)

Answer: OVATION (i.e. “one may stand for this”). Solution is INNOVATION (i.e. “new idea”) with the INN removed (indicated by “not local”).

16. Suggesting diner thought to start well-prepared (3,3,6,7)

Answer: HIT THE GROUND RUNNING (i.e. “to start well-prepared”). “Suggesting diner thought” indicates the solution is a cryptic clue, specifically an anagram of DINER THOUGHT followed by the anagram indicator RUNNING.

17. Drop daughter off: how I refer to her? (3)

Answer: SHE (i.e. “how I refer to her”). Solution is SHED (i.e. “drop”) with the D removed (indicated by “daughter off” – D being a recognised abbreviation of “daughter”).

18. I felt that food comes first for absentee (2-4)

Answer: NO-SHOW (i.e. “absentee”). Solution is OW! (i.e. “I felt that”) with NOSH (i.e. “food”) placed “first”, like so: NOSH-OW.

20. Colour left on stick (6)

Answer: PASTEL (i.e. “colour”). Solution is L (a recognised abbreviation of “left”) placed “on” or after PASTE (i.e. “stick”), like so: PASTE-L.

21. Various items on table in afternoon for mother-to-be? (3,6)

Answer: TEA THINGS. Clue plays on how one takes TEA “in [the] afternoon”; also, the phrase “Shall I be mother?” which is sometimes said by one offering to pour a cuppa. You get the idea.

23. Western hero’s individualist rage (4,6)

Answer: LONE RANGER (i.e. “western hero”). Solution is LONER (i.e. “individualist”) followed by ANGER (i.e. “rage”).

25. Cheating gangster to achieve checkmate? (11)

Answer: HOODWINKING (i.e. “cheating”). Solution is HOOD (i.e. “gangster”) followed by WIN KING (i.e. “achieve checkmate” – the objective of chess being to capture your opponent’s king).

29. Piece attached to heel is hanging (5)

Answer: TAPIS (i.e. “hanging”). Solution is TAP (i.e. “piece attached to heel”) followed by IS.

30. Income, including nice car, new demand from old lover? (8)

Answer: PALIMONY (i.e. “demand from old lover” – essentially a contraction of “pal” and “alimony” applicable to cohabiting couples who did not marry). Solution is PAY (i.e. “income”) wrapped around or “including” LIMO (i.e. “nice car”) and N (a recognised abbreviation of “new”), like so: PA(LIMO-N)Y.

31. Petulant display at sea is shifty (5,3)

Answer: HISSY FIT (i.e. “petulant display”). “At sea” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of IS SHIFTY.

34. Dictatorial boss of car firm? (8)

Answer: AUTOCRAT (i.e. “dictatorial boss”). Clue riffs on autos being another word for cars. That’s about it, unless I’m missing something clever.

36. Castle, otherwise trapping one knight more in the centre (8)

Answer: ELSINORE (i.e. “castle” over in Denmark). Solution is ELSE (i.e. “otherwise”) wrapped around or “trapping” I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”), N (a recognised abbreviation of “knight” used in chess) and OR (i.e. “more in the centre”, i.e. the middle letters of “more”), like so: ELS(I-N-OR)E. Chalk one to my Bradford’s. Life’s too short to know every castle in the world.

37. Like sheep, cow loses its head (5)

Answer: OVINE (i.e. “like sheep”). Solution is BOVINE (i.e. “cow”) with its first letter removed (indicated by “loses its head”).

39. Doesn’t go across stove with jug (11)

Answer: STRANGEWAYS (i.e. “jug” – a slang word for a prison. Strangeways Prison in Manchester was the scene of a famous riot in 1990). Solution is STAYS (i.e. “doesn’t go”) wrapped around or placed “across” RANGE (i.e. “stove”) and W (a recognised abbreviation of “with”), like so: ST(RANGE-W)AYS.

41. Work tongue into part of mouth and be highly successful with what I record (2,8)

Answer: GO PLATINUM (i.e. “be highly successful with what I record”). Solution is OP (i.e. “work”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “opus”) and LATIN (i.e. “tongue”) placed “into” GUM (i.e. “part of mouth”), like so: G(OP-LATIN)UM.

43. A mile further, surprising remote Aussie native (9)

Answer: MONOTREME (i.e. “Aussie native”, such as the platypus). Solution is M (a recognised abbreviation of “mile”) followed by ON (i.e. “further”) and an anagram (indicated by “surprising”) of REMOTE, like so: M-ON-OTREME. One of those make-up-a-word-and-see-if-it’s-in-the-dictionary solutions.

45. Born abroad, want to be not too old (6)

Answer: NEWISH (i.e. “not too old”). Solution is NE (i.e. “born abroad” – né is “(of a man) born, used in giving the original name of a titled man” (Chambers)) followed by WISH (i.e. “want”).

47. One ruling for now: note the convenience, in short (6)

Answer: REGENT (i.e. “one ruling for now” in place of the monarch). Solution is RE (i.e. “note” in the doh-re-me scale – also anglicised as “ray”) followed by GENTS (i.e. “convenience” or loo) with its last letter removed (indicated by “in short”), like so: RE-GENT.

49. Port or bitter picked up? (3)

Answer: RYE (i.e. “port” in East Sussex). “Picked up” indicates homophone. Solution is a homophone of WRY (i.e. “bitter”). Chalk another one to my Bradford’s. For “castles” also see “ports”.

50. Nowhere is unimportant (7,4,3,5)

Answer: NEITHER HERE NOR THERE. Solution satisfies “nowhere” and “is unimportant”. Nicely done.

52. Asking more questions about one is not so peaceful (7)

Answer: NOISIER (i.e. “not so peaceful”). Solution is NOSIER (i.e. “asking more questions”) wrapped “about” I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”), like so: NO(I)SIER.

53. Turned up by chance in court (7)

Answer: CAMELOT (i.e. “court” of King Arthur – tis a silly place). Solution is CAME (i.e. “turned up”) followed by LOT (i.e. “chance”).

54. Strong cloth fine in warm wind (7)

Answer: CHINOOK (i.e. “warm wind” over in the States). Solution is CHINO (i.e. “strong cloth”) followed by OK (i.e. “fine”). Another win for my Bradford’s. You’d be amazed how many words there are for “wind”.

55. Mischief-maker’s accent not British (5)

Answer: ROGUE (i.e. “mischief-maker”). Solution is BROGUE (i.e. “accent”) with the B removed (indicated by “not British” – B being a recognised abbreviation of “British”).

56. Painter’s assistant is second to be accepted (7)

Answer: Henri MATISSE (i.e. “painter”). Solution is MATE (i.e. “assistant”) wrapped around or “accepting” IS and S (a recognised abbreviation of “second”), like so: MAT(IS-S)E.

57. One doing exercises, but no header (9)

Answer: STRETCHER (i.e. “one doing exercises”). “Stretchers” and “headers” are terms used in bricklaying, it seems. A stretcher is one “laid horizontally with others in the forming of a wall”, while a header is one “with the short side showing on the wall surface” (both Chambers). A STRETCHER is therefore “no header”. Not being a brickie, this took some getting!

Down clues

1. Making a pair: marrying must involve church (8)

Answer: MATCHING (i.e. “making a pair”, e.g. of socks). Solution is MATING (i.e. “marrying”) wrapped around or “involving” CH (i.e. “church”), like so: MAT(CH)ING.

2. Something afoot: no time for throwing a spanner in the works? (5)

Answer: SABOT (i.e. “something afoot”, i.e. an item of footwear). Solution is SABOTAGE (i.e. “throwing a spanner in the works”) with the AGE removed (indicated by “no time”).

3. Noble big beast heading off to follow procession (11)

Answer: MARCHIONESS (i.e. “noble”). Solution is LIONESS (i.e. “big beast”) with its initial letter removed (indicated by “heading off”) and preceded by or “following” MARCH (i.e. “procession”), like so: MARCH-IONESS.

4. Timid creature concealing mark that identifies when death is near (6)

Answer: DOTAGE (i.e. “identifies when death is near”). Solution is DOE (i.e. “timid creature”) wrapped around or “concealing” TAG (i.e. “mark”), like so: DO(TAG)E.

5. The equivalent of first prize for behaving well (2,4,2,4)

Answer: AS GOOD AS GOLD. Solution satisfies “the equivalent of first place” and “behaving well”.

6. One soldier embraces another, before returning to old war minister (7)

Answer: André MAGINOT (i.e. “old war minister” over in France). Solution is MAN (i.e. “one soldier”) wrapped around or “embracing” GI (i.e. “another [soldier]”) and followed by TO reversed (indicated by “returning”), like so: MA(GI)N-OT.

7. Unconventional ideas after family visits foreign parliament (7,8)

Answer: LATERAL THINKING (i.e. “unconventional ideas”). Solution is LATER (i.e. “after”) followed by KIN (i.e. “family”) once it has been placed in or “visiting” ALTHING (i.e. “foreign parliament”, specifically that of Iceland), like so: LATER-ALTHIN(KIN)G.

8. My old folk in exalted ceremony (10)

Answer: CORONATION (i.e. “exalted ceremony”). Solution is COR (i.e. “my”, both exclamations along the lines of goodness, heavens, lumme, lawks, wow, blimey, crumbs, dear me, crikey and all the sweary ones too) followed by O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”) and NATION (i.e. “folk”).

9. Without James I at the front, a fierce battle (3,4)

Answer: IWO JIMA (i.e. “fierce battle”). Solution is WO (a recognised abbreviation of “without”) and JIM (a contraction of “James”). I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) is then placed “at the front” of these. The whole is then followed by A, like so: I-(WO-JIM)-A.

10. Be sold as a little money passes (6,5)

Answer: CHANGE HANDS (i.e. “be sold”). Solution is CHANGE (i.e. “a little money”) followed by HANDS (i.e. “passes” to someone).

11. What involve sliding, as you will hear (9)

Answer: GLISSANDI. Solution is an anagram (indicated by “involve”) of SLIDING AS. Glissandi are series of notes achieved by, for example, sliding one’s finger across the keys of a piano. Nicely worked.

12. Creatures put on islands (7)

Answer: DONKEYS (i.e. “creatures”). Solution is DON (i.e. “put on”) followed by KEYS (i.e. “islands”, e.g. the Florida Keys).

19. Attempt place in event (4,3)

Answer: SHOT PUT (i.e. an athletics “event”). Solution is SHOT (i.e. “attempt”) followed by PUT (i.e. “place”).

22. Fighter perhaps shows such exceptional speed over track (8)

Answer: WARPLANE (i.e. “fighter perhaps” – other varieties of warplane are available, e.g. bombers). Solution is WARP (i.e. “exceptional speed”) followed by LANE (i.e. “track”).

24. Numerous murals at last honoured unusual city founders (7,3,5)

Answer: ROMULUS AND REMUS (i.e. twin wild children who eventually became “city founders” of Rome). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “unusual”) of NUMEROUS MURALS and D (i.e. “at last honoured”, i.e. the last letter of “honoured”).

26. Flier needs a little speed to get up (8)

Answer: WHITECAP (i.e. “flier”). Solution is WHIT (i.e. “a little”) followed by PACE (i.e. “speed”) once this latter has been reversed (indicated by “to get up” – this being a down clue), like so: WHIT-ECAP. Another win for my Bradford’s. For “castles” and “ports”, see also “birds”.

27. One filleting fish maybe, good and thorough (6)

Answer: GUTTER (i.e. “one filleting fish maybe”). Solution is G (a recognised abbreviation of “good”) followed by UTTER (i.e. “thorough”).

28. Secures small pieces that have sprung up (6)

Answer: STRAPS (i.e. “secures”). Solution is S (a recognised abbreviation of “small”) followed by PARTS (i.e. “pieces”). These are then reversed (indicated by “that have sprung up” – this being a down clue), like so: STRAP-S.

32. Regularly fear I invite disaster (7)

Answer: FAILURE (i.e. “disaster” – a tad dramatic, don’t you think). Solution is FA (i.e. “regularly fear”, i.e. every other letter of FEAR) followed by I and LURE (i.e. “invite”), like so: FA-I-LURE.

33. People in a heap in the garden: one’s sane (6,6)

Answer: COMPOS MENTIS (i.e. “sane”). Solution is MEN (i.e. “people”) placed “in” COMPOST (i.e. “a heap in the garden”), followed by I’S (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one’s”), like so: COMPOS(MEN)T-I’S.

35. Emperor presumably less trustworthy in the West? (11)

Answer: CONSTANTINE (i.e. “emperor”). When read as CONSTANT IN E (a recognised abbreviation of “east”) the solution satisfies the riddly “presumably less trustworthy in the West”. Chalk another one to my Bradford’s. For “castles” and “ports” and “birds”, see also “emperors”.

37. No meat: bread roll for hungry boy (6,5)

Answer: OLIVER TWIST (i.e. eponymous “hungry boy” of Dickens’s novel). Solution is O (i.e. “no” or nought) followed by LIVER (i.e. “meat”) and TWIST (i.e. a variety of “bread roll”).

38. Qualify to start work as surgeon? (4,3,3)

Answer: MAKE THE CUT. Solution satisfies “qualify” and “start work as a surgeon”.

40. Queen, charming, removing a first coat (9)

Answer: RENDERING (i.e. “first coat”). Solution is R (a recognised abbreviation of Regina, or “Queen” in Latin) followed by ENDEARING (i.e. “charming”) once the A has been removed (indicated by “removing a”), like so: R-ENDERING.

42. Fast runner who’s barely noticed? (8)

Answer: STREAKER (i.e. “fast runner”). Clue plays on how streakers are famous for shedding their clothes and running onto sports arenas, hence “who’s barely noticed”.

43. Voyager’s home, having visited part of moon at end of tour (7)

Answer: MARINER (i.e. “voyager”). Solution is IN (i.e. at “home”) placed in or “having visited” MARE (i.e. “part of moon” – specifically “any of the various darkish level areas on either the Moon or Mars” (Chambers)) and then followed by R (i.e. “end of tour”, i.e. the last letter of “tour”), like so: MAR(IN)E-R.

44. Pointed remark when one confuses rook with magpie (7)

Answer: EPIGRAM (i.e. “pointed remark”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “when one confuses”) of R (a recognised abbreviation of “rook” in chess) and MAGPIE.

46. Manoeuvre bin (7)

Answer: WHEELIE. Solution satisfies “manoeuvre” on a bike, and a type of “bin”.

48. Agree to study dog (6)

Answer: CONCUR (i.e. “agree”). Solution is CON (an archaic word for “study” often used by setters) followed by CUR (i.e. “dog”).

51. Patriarch backing solid husband (5)

Answer: ENOCH (i.e. “patriarch” and ancestor of Noah). Solution is CONE (i.e. a “solid” figure) reversed (indicated by “backing”) and followed by H (a recognised abbreviation of “husband”), like so: ENOC-H.