Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword 1559

A medium strength puzzle for Bank Holiday Thursday. I was half-expecting a Jubilee themed puzzle, so was quite pleased when this didn’t arise. (I guess we could still get one on Saturday.) On the whole I rather liked this one. There were a good number of well worked clues to decipher and it offered the kind of steady progression I always enjoy.

You can find my completed grid below along with explanations of my solutions where I have them. I hope you find them helpful. If a recent Jumbo has severely overdone it with the coronation chicken and your house is now virtually uninhabitable as a result then you might find my Just For Fun page of use, where you’ll find links to solutions for hundreds of the things. Elsewhere there are the usual ancient book reviews and a story of mine.

Thanks for the warm words and welcomes back. It’s always interesting to hear the thoughts of other solvers once their pens are stilled. Till next time, stay safe out there kids.

LP

Across clues

1. Camp entertainer visibly embarrassed by film (7)

Answer: REDCOAT (i.e. holiday “camp entertainer”). Solution is RED (i.e. “visibly embarrassed”) followed by COAT (i.e. layer or “film”).

5. Check little woman taking in garment fabric (8)

Answer: CHAMBRAY (i.e. “fabric”). Solution is CH (a recognised abbreviation of “check” used in chess) followed by AMY (i.e. a character in Louisa May Alcott’s novel, “Little Women”) once wrapped around or “taking in” BRA (i.e. “garment”), like so: CH-AM(BRA)Y.

9. Pint almost finished – in a manner of speaking (6)

Answer: JARGON (i.e. “a manner of speaking”). Solution is JAR (slang word for a “pint” of beer) followed by GONE (i.e. “finished”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “almost”), like so: JAR-GON.

13. Money put into poor stage hit we back as movie (9,7)

Answer: SPAGHETTI WESTERN (i.e. “movie”). Solution is P (i.e. “money”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of a penny) placed “into” an anagram (indicated by “poor”) of STAGE HIT and followed by WE and STERN (i.e. the “back” of a ship), like so: S(P)AGHETTI-WE-STERN.

14. Married one deserting concubine put weight on (6)

Answer: STRESS (i.e. to emphasise or “put weight on”). Solution is MISTRESS (i.e. “concubine”) with the M and I removed (indicated by “married one deserting” – M being a recognised abbreviation of “married” and I being the Roman numeral “one”).

16. Ace business paper with energy slowing in the end (5,3)

Answer: AFTER ALL (i.e. “in the end”). Solution is A (a recognised abbreviation of “ace” used on playing cards) followed by FT (i.e. “business paper”, specifically the Financial Times), then E (a recognised abbreviation of “energy”) and RALL (i.e. “slowing”, short for rallentando in musical lingo).

17. Problem with looker in Vogue not ultimately cool (4)

Answer: STYE (i.e. “problem with looker” or the eye). Solution is STYLE (i.e. “vogue”) with the L removed (indicated by “not ultimately cool”, i.e. the last letter of “cool”).

18. At home having a ball around five? That’s early (2,7)

Answer: IN ADVANCE (i.e. “early”). Solution is IN (i.e. “at home”) followed by A and DANCE (i.e. “ball”) once wrapped “around” V (i.e. “[Roman numeral] five”), like so: IN-A-D(V)ANCE.

20. Rubbish delivered from the east drowning City boss (8)

Answer: DIRECTOR (i.e. “boss”). Solution is ROT (i.e. “rubbish”) and RID (i.e. “delivered”) all reversed (indicated by “from the east” – this being an across clue) and wrapped around or “drowning” EC (i.e. “city” – basically the City of London’s post code area), like so: DIR-(EC)-TOR.

21. Doubly popular installing new setter, good and unusual (11)

Answer: INTERESTING (i.e. “unusual”). Solution is IN and IN (i.e. “doubly popular”) wrapped around or “installing” an anagram (indicated by “new”) of SETTER and followed by G (a recognised abbreviation of “good”), like so: (IN-(TEREST)-IN)-G.

24. Queen perhaps chasing lover no longer vivacious (9)

Answer: EXUBERANT (i.e. “vivacious”). Solution is UBER ANT (i.e. “queen perhaps”) placed after or “chasing” EX (i.e. “lover no longer”), like so: EX-(UBER-ANT).

25. Upstanding character inspired by high earning African? (8)

Answer: NIGERIAN (i.e. an “African”). Solution is I (i.e. “upstanding character”) placed in or “inspired by” an anagram (indicated by “high”) of EARNING, like so: N(I)GERIAN. Nicely worked.

26. National relationship spoken of (4)

Answer: THAI (i.e. a “national” of Thailand). “Spoken of” indicates homophone. Solution is a homophone of TIE (i.e. “relationship”).

29. Hate man with brutality dispatching one (11)

Answer: MALEVOLENCE (i.e. “hate”). Solution is MALE (i.e. “man”) followed by VIOLENCE (i.e. “brutality”) once the I has been removed (indicated by “dispatching [Roman numeral] one”), like so: MALE-VOLENCE.

31. Maybe sansculottes behind in France also being lassoed? (11)

Answer: PROLETARIATS (i.e. “maybe sansculottes”, “generally, a strong republican, democrat or violent revolutionary” (Chambers)). Solution is PRO (i.e. supportive of or “behind”) followed by ET (i.e. “in France also”, i.e. the French for “and”) once placed in LARIAT (i.e. “being lassoed”, playfully), like so: PRO-L(ET)ARIAT.

33. Redeeming feature celebrated by cricketer bagging six (6,5)

Answer: SAVING GRACE (i.e. “redeeming feature”). Solution is SANG (i.e. “celebrated”) and GRACE (i.e. beardy “cricketer” of old) wrapped around or “bagging” VI (i.e. “six” expressed in Roman numerals), like so: SA(VI)NG-GRACE.

36. Supply column tracked vehicle (11)

Answer: CATERPILLAR (i.e. “tracked vehicle”). Solution is CATER (i.e. “supply”) followed by PILLAR (i.e. “column”).

38. Leading lady receiving answer by Liberal peer (4)

Answer: EARL (i.e. “peer”). Solution is ER (i.e. “leading lady”, specifically Elizabeth Regina) wrapped around or “receiving” A (a recognised abbreviation of “answer”, e.g. in Q&A) and followed by L (a recognised abbreviation of “Liberal”), like so: E(A)R-L.

39. Warnings applied to Aegean regularly expected (8)

Answer: FORESEEN (i.e. “expected”). Solution is FORES (i.e. “warnings” in golf) followed by EEN (i.e. “Aegean regularly”, i.e. every other letter of AEGEAN).

41. Bubbly dictator’s trouble with phantom limb? (9)

Answer: CHAMPAGNE (i.e. “bubbly”). “Dictator’s” indicates homophone. Solution comprises homophones of SHAM and PAIN, a play on pain that is sometimes experienced from a missing limb. A very similar clue appeared in another Jumbo only a few weeks ago, making this a much easier get.

44. Beer served with dessert to give an ambiguous flavour (11)

Answer: BITTERSWEET (i.e. “ambiguous flavour”). Solution is BITTER (i.e. “beer”) followed by SWEET (i.e. “dessert”).

45. One testing Resistance after chopper sent back to lay bombs (8)

Answer: EXAMINER (i.e. “one testing”). Solution is R (a recognised abbreviation of “resistance” – ignore the misleading capitalisation) placed “after” AXE (i.e. “chopper”) once reversed (indicated by “sent back”) and MINE (i.e. “to lay bombs”), like so: (EXA-MINE)-R.

48. Walk quietly back to circumvent curious threat in unsafe structure (5-4)

Answer: DEATH-TRAP (i.e. “unsafe structure”). Solution is PAD (i.e. “walk quietly”) reversed (indicated by “back”) and wrapped around or “circumventing” an anagram (indicated by “curious”) of THREAT, like so: D(EATHTR)AP.

49. First nine letters sent round: the ninth from Greeks (4)

Answer: IOTA (i.e. “the ninth [letter] from Greeks”). Solution is A TO I (i.e. “first nine letters”), which is then reversed (indicated by “sent round”), like so: I-OT-A.

50. Curse stories associated with The Graduate (8)

Answer: ANATHEMA (i.e. “curse”). Solution is ANA (i.e. “stories” – over to Chambers again: “a collection of someone’s table talk or of gossip, literary anecdotes or possessions”) followed by THE and MA (i.e. “graduate”, specifically a Master of the Arts – ignore the misleading capitalisation).

52. Darkness found in initially easy puzzle (6)

Answer: EREBUS (i.e. “darkness” – back to Chambers: “(myth) the dark and gloomy cavern between Earth and Hades”). Solution is E (i.e. “initially easy”, i.e. the first letter of “easy”) followed by REBUS (i.e. a picture “puzzle”).

53. Keen policeman caught in corrupt fiddle becomes hero (5,11)

Answer: DAVID COPPERFIELD (i.e. eponymous “hero” of Charles Dicken’s novel). Solution is AVID (i.e. “keen”) and COPPER (i.e. “policeman”) both placed in an anagram (indicated by “corrupt”) of FIDDLE, like so: D(AVID-COPPER)FIELD. Nicely worked.

54. Flower attached to tail of giant guinea pig (6)

Answer: TASTER (i.e. “guinea pig”). Solution is ASTER (i.e. “flower”) placed after or “attached to” T (i.e. “tail of giant”, i.e. the last letter of “giant”), like so: T-ASTER.

55. Python sliding around, one cold and bewitching (8)

Answer: HYPNOTIC (i.e. “bewitching”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “sliding around”) of PYTHON followed by I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) and C (a recognised abbreviation of “cold” used on taps), like so: HYPNOT-I-C.

56. Author means to throw out an old plaything (7)

Answer: Leo TOLSTOY (i.e. “author”). Solution is TOOLS (i.e. “means”) with one of the Os removed (indicated by “throw out an old” – O being a recognised abbreviation of “old”) and the remainder followed by TOY (i.e. “plaything”), like to: TOLS-TOY.

Down clues

1. Rogue Indian sailor confusing his port with starboard? (6)

Answer: RASCAL (i.e. “rogue”). Solution is LASCAR (i.e. “Indian sailor”) with the L swapped for R and vice versa (indicated by “confusing his port [i.e. left] with starboard [i.e. right]”), like so: (L)ASCA(R) => (R)ASCA(L).

2. Anything but cheap, this is missed in poverty (6)

Answer: DEARTH (i.e. “poverty”). Solution is DEAR (i.e. “anything but cheap”) followed by THIS once the IS has been removed (indicated by “this is missed”), like so: DEAR-TH.

3. Soldiers protecting the Western Isles: east under different conditions (9)

Answer: OTHERWISE (i.e. “under different conditions”). Solution is OR (i.e. “soldiers”, specifically the Other Ranks of the British Army) wrapped around or “protecting” THE and followed by W (a recognised abbreviation of “western” – ignoring the misleading capitalisation), IS (i.e. “isles” – I is a recognised abbreviation of “isle”, made plural) and E (ditto “east”), like so: O(THE)R-W-IS-E.

4. Remember with this everything linked to phone conversation? (5,6)

Answer: TOTAL RECALL (i.e. “remember with this everything”). Solution is TOTAL (i.e. “everything”) followed by RE (i.e. “linked to” or regarding – think email replies) and CALL (i.e. “phone conversation”).

5. Endless crack in part of mug (4)

Answer: CHIN (i.e. “part of mug” or face). Solution is CHINK (i.e. “crack”) with the last letter removed (indicated by “endless”).

6. Harmful herbicide one with power to act on royal house (5,6)

Answer: AGENT ORANGE (i.e. “harmful herbicide”). Solution is AGENT (i.e. “one with power to act”) followed by ORANGE (i.e. Dutch “royal house”).

7. Beguiling boozer in the ascendant keeps talking (9,2)

Answer: BUTTERING UP (i.e. “beguiling”). Solution is PUB (i.e. “boozer”) reversed (indicated by “in the ascendant” – this being a down clue) and wrapped around or “keeping” UTTERING (i.e. “talking”), like so: B(UTTERING)UP.

8. Strain twice to locate automobile part (3,6)

Answer: AIR FILTER (i.e. “automobile part”). Clue plays on how the two words of the solution can be taken separately as other words for “strain” – the former being a tune or air, the latter being to filter out impurities. Nicely done.

10. Militant performance quartet is in Berlin (8)

Answer: ACTIVIST (i.e. “militant”). Solution is ACT (i.e. “performance”) followed by IV (i.e. “quartet”, i.e. four expressed in Roman numerals) and IST (i.e. “is in Berlin”, i.e. the German for “is”).

11. City district verdant with one church and house Goethe vacated (9,7)

Answer: GREENWICH VILLAGE (i.e. New York “city district”). Solution is GREEN (i.e. “verdant”) followed by W (a recognised abbreviation of “with”), then I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”), then CH (a recognised abbreviation of “church”), then VILLA (i.e. “house”) and GE (i.e. “Goethe vacated”, i.e. “Goethe” with all the middle letters removed).

[EDIT: Thanks to Sue in the comments for tidying this one up. I’d forgotten to parse the W in the above solution. Cheers, Sue! – LP]

12. Obtains inside information for a rise in savings (4,3)

Answer: NEST EGG (i.e. “savings”). Solution is GETS (i.e. “obtains”) placed “inside” of GEN (i.e. “information”) and the whole then reversed (indicated by “for a rise” – this being a down clue), like so: NE(STEG)G. A very good clue. Probably my favourite of the puzzle.

15. Bearing used in horse-drawn vehicle (8)

Answer: CARRIAGE. Solution satisfies “bearing” and “horse-drawn vehicle”.

19. Foreign coin to add in among Jamaican notes? (8)

Answer: STOTINKA (i.e. “foreign coin” of Bulgaria). Solution is TOT (i.e. “to add”) and IN both placed “among” SKA (i.e. “Jamaican notes” or music), like so: S(TOT-IN)KA. Made to fit.

22. Meet wayward son in shelter I need to check (3,2,3)

Answer: LET ME SEE (i.e. “I need to check”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “wayward”) of MEET and S (a recognised abbreviation of “son”) both placed “in” LEE (i.e. “shelter”), like so: L(ETME-S)EE.

23. Large organ’s featured in visceral composer’s work (9,7)

Answer: GULLIVER’S TRAVELS (i.e. a novel or “work” by Jonathan Swift). Solution is L (a recognised abbreviation of “large”) and LIVER’S (i.e. “organ’s”) placed or “featured in” GUT (i.e. “visceral”) and followed by Maurice RAVEL’S (i.e. “composer’s”), like so: GU(L-LIVER’S)T-RAVEL’S. Another nicely worked clue.

27. Heads off for winter in pet surfing place (8)

Answer: INTERNET (i.e. “surfing place”). “Heads off” indicates the solution is derived through removing the initial letters from WINTER IN PET.

28. Star witnesses appearing in first issue? (4)

Answer: MAGI (i.e. “star witnesses”, i.e. the Three Wise Men who followed a star to Christ’s baby shower). When written as MAG I the solution playfully satisfies “first issue” of a magazine.

30. Blade going round front end of turbine (4)

Answer: VANE (i.e. “blade” of a fan or windmill). Solution is VAN (i.e. “front”, short for vanguard) followed by E (i.e. “end of turbine”, i.e. the last letter of “turbine”). Chalk one to my Bradford’s. I couldn’t make the leap from “blade”.

32. Work on red colour reported for visual specialist (8)

Answer: OPTICIAN (i.e. “visual specialist”). Solution is OP (i.e. “work”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “opus”) followed by a homophone (indicated by “reported”) of TITIAN (i.e. “red colour” attributed to the artist), like so: OP-TICIAN.

34. Man having to accept defeat, where terms laid out? (8)

Answer: GLOSSARY (i.e. “where terms laid out” in a book). Solution is GARY (I.e. “man’s” name) wrapped around or “accepting” LOSS (i.e. “defeat”), like so: G(LOSS)ARY.

35. Dropping intro in nice clarinet playing produces sparks (11)

Answer: ELECTRICIAN (i.e. “sparks”, informally). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “playing”) of NICE once the first letter has been removed (indicated by “dropping intro in…”) and CLARINET.

36. Hartfordians here one saw under bridge (11)

Answer: CONNECTICUT (i.e. “Hartfordians here”). Solution is I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) and CUT (i.e. to “saw”) both placed after or, being a down clue, “under” CONNECT (i.e. “bridge”), like so: CONNECT-(I-CUT).

37. Disheartened grain workers in truth shortened shift (11)

Answer: REALIGNMENT (i.e. “shift”). Solution is GN (i.e. “disheartened grain”, i.e. the word “grain” with its middle letters removed) and MEN (i.e. “workers” – hang on while I check we’re still in 2022) both placed “in” REALITY (i.e. “truth”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “shortened”), like so: REALI(GN-MEN)T.

40. Perfect woman keeping place by Devonian river (9)

Answer: EXEMPLARY (i.e. “perfect”). Solution is MARY (i.e. “woman’s” name) wrapped around or “keeping” PL (a recognised abbreviation of “place”) and placed after or “by” EXE (i.e. “Devonian river”), like so: EXE-M(PL)ARY.

42. Fill net up at sea in good supply (9)

Answer: PLENTIFUL (i.e. “in good supply”). “At sea” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of FILL NET UP.

43. Many layers shed? (8)

Answer: HENHOUSE. Clue plays on hens being “layers” of eggs. You get the idea.

44. Unrecoverable cash duke and girl brought into club? (3,4)

Answer: BAD DEBT (i.e. “unrecoverable cash”). Solution is D (a recognised abbreviation of “duke”) and DEB (ditto “girl”, in this case a debutante; could also be a shortened form of Deborah) both placed “into” BAT (i.e. “club”), like so: BA(D-DEB)T.

46. Joiner in building industry church people finally accept (6)

Answer: CEMENT (i.e. “joiner in building industry”). Solution is CE (i.e. “church”, specifically the Church of England) followed by MEN (i.e. “people”) and T (i.e. “finally accept”, i.e. the last letter of “accept”).

47. Hydra moving across lake only with great difficulty (6)

Answer: HARDLY (i.e. “with great difficulty”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “moving”) of HYDRA wrapped around or placed “across” L (a recognised abbreviation of “lake”), like so: HARD(L)Y.

51. English prince appearing regularly in spectacular film (4)

Answer: EPIC (i.e. “spectacular film”). Solution is E (a recognised abbreviation of “English”) followed by PIC (i.e. “prince appearing regularly”, i.e. every other letter of PRINCE).