Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword 1633

A medium-strength Jumbo, blighted by dastardly repeats. Yuck. Still, at least there were a few inventive clues to savour.

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 tripped you up then you might find my Just For Fun page of use, where you’ll find links to solutions for hundreds of the things.

Thanks again for the kind words. I’m still catching up, so I’ll see you shortlyish in the next one. Tatty-bye!

LP

RBV (Repeats-By-Volume): 14.5%

Across clues

1. She’d forget I perhaps could be prescient (11)

Answer: FORESIGHTED (i.e. “prescient”). “Perhaps could be” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of SHE’D FORGET I.

7. Cover for spy leading to arrest for government? (6)

Answer: SYSTEM (i.e. “government”). Solution is SY (i.e. “cover for spy”, i.e. the first and last letters of “spy”) followed by STEM (i.e. to stop or “arrest”).

10. What leg, wing, arm and member progressively reveal? (4)

Answer: LIMB. The solution satisfies the four examples listed, while “progressively reveal” indicates the solution is also derived from the first, second etc letters of each word, i.e. LEG, WING, ARM, MEMBER. A very creative clue. I loved it.

14. Subject being needing to wash (7)

Answer: ENSLAVE (i.e. to “subject”). Solution is ENS (i.e. “being”, philosophically speaking. One I recalled faintly from a previous Jumbo) followed by LAVE (i.e. “to wash”).

15. Jar where Romanian dance follows current measure (7)

Answer: AMPHORA (i.e. “jar”). Solution is HORA (i.e. a “Romanian dance” performed in a circle, apparently) placed after or “following” AMP (i.e. “current measure”), like so: AMP-HORA. Appeared in grid 1589 back in December, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

16. One putting up with English clergyman (7)

Answer: ERECTOR (i.e. “one putting up”). Solution is E (a recognised abbreviation of “English”) followed by RECTOR (i.e. “clergyman”). Appeared in grid 1602 back in March, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

17. Why do deletion possibly unlikely to change (4-2-3-4)

Answer: DYED-IN-THE-WOOL (i.e. “unlikely to change”). “Possibly” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of WHY DO DELETION.

18. Church service see backed is known to very few? (3,6)

Answer: TOP SECRET (i.e. “known to very few”). Solution is TERCE (i.e. “church service”, “one of the hours of the Divine Office, originally held at the third hour of the day (9am)” (Chambers). This reminded me of a recent playthrough of Pentiment, an adventure game set in a fictional Reformation-era town in which a murder mystery plays out across the canonical hours. Worth a look, if you have the patience) and SPOT (i.e. “see”) all reversed (indicated by “backed”), like so: TOPS-ECRET.

19. What chopper needs right over to run? (5)

Answer: ROTOR (i.e. “what chopper needs”, taking “chopper” to mean a helicopter). Solution is R (a recognised abbreviation of “right”) followed by O (ditto “over”, used in cricket), then TO and R (ditto “run”, used in cricket and some other ball games). Appeared in grid 1624 a couple of months ago, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

21. Concerned with plant around river that’s unruly (10)

Answer: REFRACTORY (i.e. “unruly”). Solution is RE (i.e. “concerned with” – think email replies) followed by FACTORY (i.e. “plant”) once wrapped “around” R (a recognised abbreviation of “river”), like so: RE-F(R)ACTORY. One of those words I could have sworn meant something else. (Not entirely unusual, to be fair. I often make catachresis an art form.)

23. Stereo milkman regularly used in vehicle (6)

Answer: TROIKA (i.e. a Russian horse-drawn “vehicle”). “Regularly used” indicates the solution is derived by taking every other letter of STEREO MILKMAN. One I remembered from its last appearance, if I’m honest.

25. Doctor in a university left social worker able to walk (8)

Answer: AMBULANT (i.e. “able to walk”). Solution is MB (i.e. “doctor”, specifically a Doctor of Medicine, or Medicinae Baccalaureus) placed “in” between A and U (a recognised abbreviation of “university”). This is then followed by L (ditto “left”) and ANT (i.e. “social worker” insect), like so: (A-(MB)-U)-L-ANT.

26. Putting out woven marine drag-nets (14)

Answer: DISARRANGEMENT (i.e. “putting out”). “Woven” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of MARINE DRAG-NETS.

29. Support in Calais, say, returning for crown (7)

Answer: TREETOP (i.e. “crown” – can be the top of anything, not just a tree). Solution is TEE (i.e. “support” for a golf ball) placed “in” PORT (i.e. “Calais, say” – other ports are available, as solvers are all too painfully aware) and the whole then reversed (indicated by “returning”), like so: TR(EET)OP.

30. Gin and tonic and old-fashioned going by another name (9)

Answer: INCOGNITO (i.e. “going by another name”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “fashioned”) of GIN, TONIC and O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”).

31. Going over accumulated knowledge about new recruit (5)

Answer: ENROL (i.e. “recruit”). Solution is LORE (i.e. “accumulated knowledge”) wrapped “about” N (a recognised abbreviation of “new”) and the whole reversed (indicated by “going over”), like so: E(N)ROL.

32. Correct me over the last point (5)

Answer: EMEND (i.e. “correct”). Solution is EM (i.e. “me over”, or the word “me” reversed) followed by END (i.e. “the last point”). Appeared in grid 1590 back in December, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

34. Never returning? Small cod’s back again (2-7)

Answer: RE-ENDORSE (i.e. “back again”). Solution is NE’ER (poetic form of “never”) reversed or “returning”, followed by DORSE (i.e. a “small cod” – bizarrely, if you search for DORSE in Google images you’ll see a lot more images of weird dog/horse or duck/horse hybrids than you will of fish), like so: RE’EN-DORSE.

37. We finally deserve backing about river boat for rowers (7)

Answer: TRIREME (i.e. “boat for rowers”). Solution is E (i.e. “we finally”, i.e. the last letter of “we”) followed by MERIT (i.e. “deserve”) all reversed (indicated by “backing”) and wrapped “about” R (a recognised abbreviation of “river” – again), like so: T(R)IREM-E. And for the umpteenth time since I started these posts, you can literally see the solution two pages earlier in the Saturday Review, sitting there in grid 1630. This is one reason I’m beginning to tire of these Jumbos. It’s sad, really. Anyway, TRIREME appeared in grid 1630 on odd intersecting letters, so…

39. Russian soldier perhaps, then a sailor, initially made second officer (8,2,4)

Answer: SERGEANT AT ARMS (i.e. “officer”). Not 100% here, but I guess the solution comprises SERGE (i.e. “Russian”, I’m assuming a shortened form of Sergei, though I’m hoping there’s a bit more to it than that. Either way, I often find it interesting the nationalities setters gravitate toward when composing their clues. (Consider that Serge could just as easily have been Spanish or Italian.) The French get a comical amount of love in Jumbos, as I have highlighted before once or twice, but Russia gets a solid showing too. Twice so far this week, in fact, and we’re not even halfway through the clues. Hmm. Excuse me a moment while I call MI6…) followed by ANT (i.e. “soldier perhaps” – we’ve already covered other types of ant), then A, then TAR (i.e. informal word for a “sailor”), then M (i.e. “initially made”, i.e. the first letter of “made”) and S (a recognised abbreviation of “second”).

41. Row during opening curtain (8)

Answer: PORTIERE (i.e. a door “curtain”. French, obviously, as if almost immediately proving my previous point). Solution is TIER (i.e. “row”) placed in or “during” PORE (i.e. “opening”), like so: POR(TIER)E.

43. Arduous journey for US school: record-breaking energy! (6)

Answer: SCHLEP (i.e. “arduous journey for US”, or US slang for a right old slog). Solution is SCH (a recognised abbreviation of “school”) followed by E (ditto “energy”) once placed in or “breaking” LP (i.e. a “record” of the long-play variety), like so: SCH-L(E)P.

44. Steal key unit for part of frame? (10)

Answer: COLLARBONE (i.e. “part of frame”, I this case a skeleton). Solution is COLLAR (i.e. “steal”) followed by B (a musical “key”) and ONE (i.e. “unit”).

45. Ruminant of Eastern country area (5)

Answer: ELAND (i.e. “ruminant”). Solution is E (a recognised abbreviation of “eastern”) followed by LAND (i.e. “country area”).

48. Conservative academic, not professional priest (9)

Answer: CONFESSOR (i.e. “priest”). Solution is CON (a recognised abbreviation of “Conservative”) followed by PROFESSOR (i.e. “academic”) once the PRO has been removed (indicated by “not professional”), like so: CON-FESSOR.

49. Operatic style turning out cliché-ridden (13)

Answer: STEREOTYPICAL (i.e. “cliché-ridden”). “Turning out” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of OPERATIC STYLE.

51. Quarry operative is born survivor (7)

Answer: BLASTER (i.e. “quarry operative”). Solution is B (a recognised abbreviation of “born”) followed by LASTER (i.e. “survivor”).

52. Herald quietly broadcast decree (7)

Answer: PRECEDE (i.e. “herald”, a bit too loose for me). Solution is P (i.e. “quietly”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “piano” in musical lingo) followed by an anagram (indicated by “broadcast”) of DECREE, like so: P-RECEDE.

53. Bribe involving Royal Navy inquiry’s beginning to be urgent (7)

Answer: BURNING (i.e. “urgent”). Solution is BUNG (i.e. “bribe”) wrapped around or “involving” RN (a recognised abbreviation of “Royal Navy”) and I (i.e. “inquiry’s beginning” letter), like so: BU(RN-I)NG.

54. Textile worker needing water remover, one right away (4)

Answer: DYER (i.e. “textile worker”). Solution is DRYER (i.e. “water remover”) with the first R removed (indicated by “one right away”, R being a recognised abbreviation of “right”). Disappointing to have DYER and DYED-IN-THE-WOOL in the same grid. Almost worth another meme…

55. Superficially another garishly lame style with diamonds (6)

Answer: ARGYLE (i.e. “style with diamonds”). “Superficially” indicates the solution is derived from the outer letters of ANOTHER GARISHLY LAME.

56. Minister to reportedly put in negligible aid for drivers? (11)

Answer: STREETLIGHT (i.e. “aid for drivers”). Solution is a homophone (indicated by “reportedly”) of TREAT (i.e. to “minister”) placed or “put in” SLIGHT (i.e. “negligible”), like so: S(TREET)LIGHT.

Down clues

1. Condition needs raising with older cricketer (7)

Answer: FIELDER (i.e. “cricketer”). Solution is IF (i.e. a “condition” upon an outcome) reversed (indicated by “needs raising” – this being a down clue) followed by ELDER (i.e. “older”), like so: FI-ELDER.

2. Regarding show, book for clubs, with good standing (11)

Answer: RESPECTABLE (i.e. “with good standing”). Solution is RE (i.e. “regarding” – think email replies) followed by SPECTACLE (i.e. an eye-popping “show”) once the C (a recognised abbreviation of “clubs” in some card games) has been swapped “for” B (a recognised abbreviation of “book”), like so: RE-SPECTA(C)LE => RE-SPECTA(B)LE.

3. India stomachs rising Hindu mystic (5)

Answer: SWAMI (i.e. “Hindu mystic”). Solution is I (“India” in the phonetic alphabet) and MAWS (i.e. “stomachs”) all reversed (indicated by “rising” – again this being a down clue), like so: SWAM-I.

4. Are not after large piano over small piano? That’s relative (5-11)

Answer: GREAT-GRANDPARENT (i.e. a “relative”). Solution is AREN’T (a contraction of “are not”) placed “after” GREAT (i.e. “large”), GRAND (i.e. a type of “piano”) and P (i.e. “small piano”, i.e. a recognised abbreviation of “piano” used in musical lingo), like so: (GREAT-GRAND-P)-AREN’T.

5. Exchange following enemy missile heading skywards (5-3)

Answer: TRADE-OFF (i.e. “exchange”). Solution is F (a recognised abbreviation of “following”), FOE (i.e. “enemy”) and DART (i.e. “missile”) all reversed (indicated by “heading skywards” – again again this being a down clue), like so: TRAD-EOF-F.

6. Alcoholic declines in a coma, unfortunately (11)

Answer: DIPSOMANIAC (i.e. “alcoholic”). Solution is DIPS (i.e. “declines”) followed by an anagram (indicated by “unfortunately”) of IN A COMA, like so: DIPS-OMANIAC. DIPSOMANIA appeared in grid 1576 last September, just within my threshold for repeat solutions, and also on odd intersecting letters, so…

7. Lower barge onto loch (5)

Answer: SCOWL (i.e. to “lower”). Solution is SCOW (i.e. a “barge”) followed by L (a recognised abbreviation of “loch”).

8. Not able to focus snapping eastern catbird? (14)

Answer: SCATTERBRAINED (i.e. “not able to focus”). “Snapping” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of EASTERN CATBIRD.

9. Discharge in river miles above port (6)

Answer: EXEMPT (i.e. to “discharge”). Solution is EXE (an English “river”) followed by M (a recognised abbreviation of “miles”) and PT (ditto “port”).

11. Bury fifty-one close in space between rows? (11)

Answer: INTERLINEAR (i.e. “space between rows”). Solution is INTER (i.e. to “bury”) followed by LI (i.e. “fifty-one” expressed as Roman numerals) and NEAR (i.e. “close”).

12. Cap, black one milliner runs up – not hard (7)

Answer: BIRETTA (i.e. “cap”). Solution is B (a recognised abbreviation of “black”) followed by I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) and HATTER (i.e. “milliner”) once the H has been removed (indicated by “not hard” – H being a recognised abbreviation of “hard”) and the remainder reversed (indicated by “runs up” – again again again this being a down clue), like so: B-I-RETTA.

13. Go through red – not the last vehicle (8)

Answer: REHEARSE (i.e. “go through”). Solution is RED with its last letter removed (indicated by “not the last”) and the remainder followed by HEARSE (i.e. a “vehicle”), like so: RE-HEARSE.

20. Reported queen delighted (7)

Answer: RELATED (i.e. “reported”). Solution is R (i.e. “queen”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of the Latin Regina) followed by ELATED (i.e. “delighted”).

22. Beginning on guitar, want to play this? (5)

Answer: TWANG, a sound you might “play” on a “guitar”. Solution is G (i.e. “beginning [letter] on guitar”) placed “on” or after an anagram (indicated by “to play”) of WANT, like so: TWAN-G.

24. I note sporty car contains turbo, oddly undeniable (16)

Answer: INCONTROVERTIBLE (i.e. “undeniable”). Solution is I followed by N (a recognised abbreviation of “note”) and CONVERTIBLE (i.e. “sporty car”) once wrapped around or “containing” TRO (i.e. “turbo, oddly”, i.e. every other letter of TURBO), like so: I-N-CON(TRO)VERTIBLE. Appeared in grid 1613 back in May, also on even intersecting letters, so…

25. One looking for parts of a key and lock (7)

Answer: ACTRESS (i.e. “one looking for parts”). Solution is A followed by C (i.e. a musical “key”) and TRESS (i.e. a “lock” of hair).

27. Solvent is blue, not black, in colour (7)

Answer: TOLUENE (i.e. a “solvent”, methyl benzene… yeah, me neither). Solution is BLUE with the B removed (indicated by “not black” – B being a recognised abbreviation of “black” used in chess) and the remainder placed “in” TONE (i.e. “colour”), like so: TO(LUE)NE. One nailed solely from the wordplay.

28. Projected artistic movement? (14)

Answer: CINEMATOGRAPHY, “motion picture photography” (Chambers). Clue plays on how you’ll find “projectors” in a CINEMA. You get the idea.

31. Letter pi found in pestle, not p? (7)

Answer: EPISTLE (i.e. “letter”). Solution is PI placed “in” PESTLE once the P has been removed (indicated by “not p”), like so: E(PI)STLE.

33. Lug article with new Hertfordshire town pottery (11)

Answer: EARTHENWARE (i.e. “pottery”). Solution is EAR (i.e. “lug”, slang thereof) followed by THE (i.e. “article”, being a word like a, an or the), then N (a recognised abbreviation of “new”) and WARE (i.e. “Hertfordshire town”). Appeared in grid 1585 back in November, also on odd intersecting letters, so…

35. What makes speech slow and drag with length (5)

Answer: DRAWL (i.e. “what makes speech slow”). Solution is DRAW (i.e. “drag”, both pulls on a ciggie) followed by L (a recognised abbreviation of “length”).

36. Mutant sorrel seems unstoppable (11)

Answer: REMORSELESS (i.e. “unstoppable”). “Mutant” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of SORREL SEEMS. I rather liked the imagery of this clue.

38. What hook-fastener is intended to be striking (3-8)

Answer: EYE-CATCHING (i.e. “striking”). Clue also playfully satisfies “what hook-fastener is intended to be”, an EYE being a hole in something.

40. The Spanish race with horse not quite in the top ten (8)

Answer: ELEVENTH (i.e. “not quite in the top ten”). Solution is EL (i.e. “the Spanish”, i.e. the Spanish for “the”) followed by EVENT (i.e. “race”) and H (i.e. “horse”, both slang for heroin).

42. Refrain from introducing European predecessor (8)

Answer: FOREBEAR (i.e. “predecessor”). Solution is FORBEAR (i.e. “refrain from”) wrapped around or “introducing” E (a recognised abbreviation of “European”), like so: FOR(E)BEAR.

43. So sheep parasite bites billions? One might improve here (7)

Answer: SICKBED (i.e. “one might improve here”). Solution is SIC (i.e. “so” in Latin) followed by KED (i.e. a “sheep parasite” – I mean, good grief) once wrapped around or “biting” B (a recognised abbreviation of “billions”), like so: SIC-K(B)ED.

46. What may come by Turkish transport (7)

Answer: DELIGHT. Solution satisfies “transport”, taken to mean “to throw into an ecstasy” (Chambers), and “what may come by Turkish”, referring to the delicacy Turkish Delight.

47. Money-lender certainly found in city once (6)

Answer: USURER (i.e. a “money-lender” charging extortionate rates of interest). Solution is SURE (i.e. “certainly”) placed “in” UR (i.e. “city once” of ancient Mesopotamia), like so: U(SURE)R. Appeared in grid 1588 back in December, also on even intersecting letters, so…

49. Situation grasped in report (5)

Answer: SCENE (i.e. “situation”). “In report” indicates homophone. Solution is a homophone of SEEN (i.e. to have “grasped” or learned). SCENERY appeared in grid 1616 back in May, also on intersecting letters, but I’ll let it slide. All these Michael Palin memes are draining the hell out of my laptop’s battery.

50. Fairy left in danger (5)

Answer: PERIL (i.e. “danger”). Solution is PERI (i.e. a “fairy”) followed by L (a recognised abbreviation of “left”).