Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword 1639

For the most part this was a medium-strength Jumbo for me. I would hesitate calling it a toughie as it’s too easy for a setter to rely on exotic solutions to artificially increase a Jumbo’s difficulty, and there were a couple too many oddballs here. Still, at least there was a healthy dollop of well-written clues to enjoy.

You can find my completed grid below along with explanations of my solutions where I have them. I hope you find them useful. If a recent Jumbo has given you night-sweats then you might find my Just For Fun page of use, where you’ll find links to solutions for hundreds of the things.

Thanks for the kind words and input. It’s always interesting to hear the thoughts of solvers once they’ve set down their pens. Till next time, stay safe out there kids.

LP

RBV (Repeats-By-Volume): 10%

Across clues

1. Delightful sight in club’s centre? (5,4)

Answer: SWEET SPOT (i.e. “in [golf] club’s centre”). Solution is SWEET (i.e. “delightful”) followed by SPOT (i.e. to notice or “sight”).

6. View gold for Clementine’s father? (10)

Answer: PROSPECTOR (i.e. “Clementine’s father”, from the American folk song Oh, My Darling Clementine, after the lyric: In a cavern, in a cavern, excavating for a mine, dwelt a miner forty-niner and his daughter, Clementine). Solution is PROSPECT (i.e. “view”) followed by OR (i.e. “gold” in heraldry). PROSPECTOR appeared in grid 1623 back in July but on even intersecting letters.

12. Article concealed by players before a game (7)

Answer: CANASTA (i.e. “game”). Solution is AN (i.e. “article”, a word like a, an or the) placed in or “concealed by” CAST (i.e. “players”) and followed by A, like so: C(AN)AST-A.

13. Finish sign by trail: all detailed to show distance? (9)

Answer: KILOMETRE (i.e. “distance”). Solution is KILL (i.e. “finish”), OMEN (i.e. “sign”) and TREK (i.e. “trail”) each with their final letters removed (indicated by “all detailed”, perhaps better read as de-tailed), like so: KIL-OME-TRE.

14. Racket of number one seed snapped in middle (5)

Answer: NOISE (i.e. “racket”). Solution is NO (a recognised abbreviation of “number”) followed by I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”) and SE (i.e. “seed snapped in the middle”, i.e. the first half of the word “seed”).

16. Produce result of love? (7,5)

Answer: PASSION FRUIT (i.e. food or “produce”). The rest of the clue plays on PASSION being another word for “love” and FRUIT being another word for “result”, e.g. the fruits of one’s labours.

17. Does anything but order beer for trading event (6,4)

Answer: JUMBLE SALE (i.e. “trading event”). Solution is JUMBLES (i.e. “does anything but order”) followed by ALE (i.e. “beer”).

19. Guns, large supply, packed by huntress, do they offer protection? (8,6)

Answer: GUARDIAN ANGELS (i.e. “they offer protection”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “supply”, as in being supple) of GUNS LARGE wrapped around or being “packed by” DIANA (i.e. “huntress”, specifically the Roman goddess of the hunt), like so: GUAR(DIANA)NGELS.

22. Norwegian fish needs British wine, not European (8)

Answer: BRISLING (i.e. “Norwegian fish”). Solution is B (a recognised abbreviation of “British”) followed by RIESLING (i.e. a “wine”) once its E has been removed (indicated by “not European” – E being a recognised abbreviation of “European”), like so: B-RISLING. One nailed from the wordplay alone.

24. Two answers given about unknown meadow plant (6)

Answer: AZALEA (i.e. “plant”). Solution is A and A (i.e. both “answers”, A being a recognised abbreviation of “answer”, as in Q&A) wrapped “about” Z (i.e. “unknown” – setters love referring to X, Y or Z in solutions as unknowns) and followed by LEA (i.e. “meadow”), like so: A(Z)A-LEA.

25. Embellished pieces from officer with deserter in our area (10)

Answer: COLORATURA (i.e. “embellished pieces” of music – over to Chambers: “embellished vocal passages including runs, trills, etc”). Solution is COL (i.e. “officer”, short for Colonel) followed by RAT (i.e. “deserter”) once placed “in” OUR and A (a recognised abbreviation of “area”), like so: COL-O(RAT)UR-A. Musical terms as solutions are often ho-hum to me, but musical terms when all the intersecting letters are vowels? Spare me…

26. Yellowish-orange Republican in line for missile launch (5)

Answer: OCHRE (i.e. “yellowish-orange”). Solution as R (a recognised abbreviation of “Republican”) placed “in” OCHE (i.e. “line for missile launch” in a game of darts), like so: OCH(R)E. Rather a fun clue, I thought, though let’s hope it’s not prophetic.

29. Scot seen here and there in Beausaint (4)

Answer: EUAN (i.e. “Scot”, or a Scotsman’s name. For musical terms as solutions, see also forenames). “Seen here and there in…” indicates the solution is derived from every other letter of BEAUSAINT.

30. Westminster denizen’s game up? One jerk to be put inside (8)

Answer: POLITICO (i.e. “Westminster denizen”). Solution is POLO (i.e. “game” – not sure where “up” fits into this, though) wrapped around or having “inside” of it I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”, again) and TIC (i.e. “jerk”), like so: POL(I-TIC)O.
[EDIT – Thanks to Mick in the comments for fleshing this out. One definition of “up” is being on horseback, which fits in with the whole polo thing. Cheers, Mick! – LP]

32. Feeling that causes great excitement (9)

Answer: SENSATION. Solution satisfies “feeling” and “that causes great excitement”.

34. Serve drink after drug fix, not gallons, in fragrant mixture (9)

Answer: POTPOURRI (i.e. “fragrant mixture”). Solution is POUR (i.e. “serve drink”) placed “after” POT (i.e. “drug”, slang for marijuana) and followed by RIG (i.e. manipulate or “fix”) once the G has been removed (indicated by “not gallons” – G being a recognised abbreviation of “gallons”), like so: POT-(POUR)-RI.

35. Rogue charged, in a dock having left hospital (8)

Answer: ABERRANT (i.e. “rogue”). Solution is RAN (i.e. “charged”) placed “in” A and BERTH (i.e. “dock”) once the H has been removed (indicated by “having left hospital”, H being a recognised abbreviation of “hospital”), like so: A-BER(RAN)T.

36. Indifferent over after spinner on song initially (2-2)

Answer: SO-SO (i.e. “indifferent”). Solution is O (a recognised abbreviation of “over” used in cricket) placed “after” SOS (i.e. “spinner on song initially”, i.e. the first letters of SPINNER ON SONG), like so: SOS-O.

39. Sailor Yates at the margins marks depth (5)

Answer: ABYSM (i.e. “depth”). Solution is AB (i.e. “sailor” of Able Bodied rank) followed by YS (i.e. “Yates at the margins”, i.e. the first and last letters of “Yates”) and M (a recognised abbreviation of “marks”, the former German currency).

40. Subdue popular Greek goddess at later stage in play? (10)

Answer: INACTIVATE (i.e. “subdue”). Solution is IN (i.e. “popular”) followed by ATE (i.e. “Greek goddess” of mischief) once placed “at” or after ACT IV (i.e. “later stage of play”), like so: IN-(ACT-IV)-ATE.

42. Party repelled masses in vote (6)

Answer: BALLOT (i.e. “vote”). Solution is LAB (i.e. “party”, short for the Labour Party) reversed (indicated by “repelled”) and followed by LOT (i.e. “masses”), like so: BAL-LOT.

44. House representative’s brilliant crime netting grand (4,4)

Answer: STAR SIGN (i.e. “house representative” – “house” can mean a sign of the zodiac). Solution is STAR (i.e. “brilliant”) followed by SIN (i.e. “crime”) once wrapped around or “netting” G (a recognised abbreviation of “grand” or £1,000), like so: STAR-SI(G)N.

46. Salt needed – I could dish more out (6,8)

Answer: SODIUM CHLORIDE (i.e. “salt”). “Out” indicates anagram. Solution is an anagram of I COULD DISH MORE.

48. You are stopping boyfriend about to divulge secrets: that’s official! (10)

Answer: BUREAUCRAT (i.e. “official”). Solution is UR (i.e. “you are” in textspeak – seems a popular thing for setters these days) placed in or “stopping” BEAU (i.e. “boyfriend”). This is followed by C (i.e. “about”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “circa”) and RAT (i.e. “to divulge secrets”), like so: B(UR)EAU-C-RAT.

49. Restore IT to US centre ransacked (12)

Answer: RECONSTITUTE (i.e. “restore”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “ransacked”) of IT TO US CENTRE.

53. The Doldrums as Lennon put it, oddly dismissive? (5)

Answer: ENNUI (i.e. “the doldrums”). “Oddly dismissive” indicates the solution is derived by taking every other letter of LENNON PUT IT. Appeared in grid 1627, also back in July, and also on odd intersecting letters, so…

54. Beyond silly covering banker’s last debt (9)

Answer: OVERDRAFT (i.e. “debt”). Solution is OVER (i.e. “beyond”) and DAFT (i.e. “silly”) all wrapped around or “covering” R (i.e. “banker’s last” letter), like so: OVER-D(R)AFT.

55. Substance from cinchona tree – one of five in east (7)

Answer: QUININE (i.e. “substance from cinchona tree”). Solution is QUIN (i.e. “one of five”) followed by IN and E (a recognised abbreviation of “east”).

56. Small volume’s middle covering current literature (10)

Answer: CENTILITRE (i.e. “small volume”). Solution is CENTRE (i.e. “middle”) wrapped around or “covering” I (a recognised abbreviation of an electric “current” used in physics) and LIT (a recognised abbreviation of “literature”), like so: CENT(I-LIT)RE.

57. Such a person is male and flirtatious? (6,3)

Answer: LADIES MAN. The solution satisfies the clue as a whole but is also an anagram (indicated by “flirtatious” of IS MALE AND. An excellent clue, probably the best of the lot.

Down clues

1. Martians at last in American airspace (5)

Answer: SINUS (i.e. “airspace” or an air-filled cavity in the skull connecting with the nose). Solution is S (i.e. “Martians at last”, i.e. the last letter of “Martians”) followed by IN and US (i.e. “American”). Another clue I liked.

2. Time at home in seaside resort – distant location? (4,6)

Answer: EAST INDIES (i.e. “distant location”, from the UK at least). Solution is T (a recognised abbreviation of “time”) and IN (i.e. “at home”) both placed “in” an anagram (indicated by “resort”) of SEASIDE, like so: EAS(T-IN)DIES.

3. Casey Jones to give instruction to staff? (8)

Answer: TRAINMAN (i.e. “Casey Jones”, a US train driver who died in 1900 when his passenger train collided with a stalled freight train. His heroism meant he was the only casualty. Quite a strong US theme to this week’s Jumbo, don’t you think? I don’t mind as I rather like the US, but I know this can stick in the craw of some Jumbo addicts. By the way, of the 2,000 or so views my site attracts each week, around 1% comes from the US. If you’re reading this from over the pond, drop in and say howdy). Solution is TRAIN (i.e. “to give instruction”) followed by MAN (i.e. “staff” – I usually think of this in terms of staffing an organisation). This solution appeared in grid 1606 back in April and also on odd intersecting letters, so…

4. Metal rod for this hand-to-hand engagement? (5)

Answer: POKER. Solution satisfies “metal rod” and, playfully, “hand-to-hand engagement”, referring to hands of cards in a game of poker. This took way longer to nail than it ought to. Sometimes I just don’t see ‘em.

5. Learner brought in becoming fond of lecture (7,2)

Answer: TALKING TO (i.e. “lecture”). Solution is L (a recognised abbreviation of “learner”, e.g. on L-plates) placed “in” TAKING TO (i.e. “becoming fond of”), likes so: TA(L)KING-TO.

6. Display anti-aircraft gun, having disregarded second order (4)

Answer: POMP (i.e. “display”). Solution is POM-POM (i.e. informal name for an “anti-aircraft gun”, apparently imitative of its sound. A new one on me, but I like it) with the last OM removed (indicated by “having disregarded second order”, OM being short for the Order of Merit), like so: POM-P.

7. Best known champion shearer down under? (6)

Answer: OUTGUN (i.e. to “best” someone). Solution is OUT (i.e. “known”) followed by GUN (apparently slang for a “champion shearer down under” – valid clueing, sure, but, come on, who on earth is going to know this? Apart from Australian sheep shearers, obviously. Strewth…)

8. Old man keeps the French lawyers winning in legal practice (4,10)

Answer: PLEA BARGAINING (i.e. “legal practice”). Solution is PA (i.e. “old man”, both informal references to one’s father) wrapped around or “keeping” LE (i.e. “the French”, i.e. the masculine form of “the” in French). This is then followed by BAR (i.e. “lawyers”) and GAINING (i.e. “winning”), like so: P(LE)A-BAR-GAINING.

9. Sin here acknowledged dreadful lesson of Cain (12)

Answer: CONFESSIONAL (i.e. “sin here acknowledged”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “dreadful”) of LESSON OF CAIN.

10. Asian craft capsized one mile south of old Baltic port (7)

Answer: ORIGAMI (i.e. “Asian craft” of paper-folding). Solution is I (i.e. “[Roman numeral] one”, again, again) and M (a recognised abbreviation of “mile”) all reversed (indicated by “capsized” – this being a down clue) and placed after or “south of” O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”) and RIGA (i.e. “Baltic port”, capital of Latvia), like so: O-RIGA-(M-I). ORIGAMI is surely the mother of all repeats, now appearing for the fourth time in the space of a year, having previously appeared in grid 1589 in December, grid 1604 in March, and grid 1614 in April, each time on odd intersecting letters. I get the value of vowelly words when constructing grids, setters, but this is getting silly.

11. Margaret embraced by gangster eschewing force, the rascal (10)

Answer: SCAPEGRACE (i.e. “rascal”). Solution is PEG (i.e. a shortened form of “Margaret”) placed in or “embraced by” SCARFACE (i.e. “gangster”, nickname of Al Capone) once the F has been removed (indicated by “eschewing force” – F being a recognised abbreviation of “force”), like so: SCA(PEG)RACE. An excellent word. I thought the same back in 2020, the last time this appeared in a Jumbo cryptic.

15. Laurel perhaps remaining fresh and vital (9)

Answer: EVERGREEN. Solution satisfies “laurel perhaps” – other evergreens are available – and “remaining fresh and vital”.

18. Fish from Scotland – central region? (8)

Answer: ALBACORE (i.e. “fish”). Solution is ALBA (i.e. “Scotland” to Gaelic Scots) followed by CORE (i.e. “central region”). Quite nice to find this was the first 8-letter fish listed in my Bradford’s. Saved a bit of time.

20. Worker beset by terrible malady relentlessly (9)

Answer: ADAMANTLY (i.e. “relentlessly”). Solution is ANT (i.e. “worker”) placed in or “beset by” an anagram (indicated by “terrible”) of MALADY, like so: ADAM(ANT)LY.

21. A bachelor, eccentric, having lived in the country from the start (10)

Answer: ABORIGINAL (i.e. “having lived in the country from the start”). Solution is A followed by B (a recognised abbreviation of “bachelor”, e.g. in a Bachelor of Arts) and ORIGINAL (i.e. unusual or “eccentric” – a bit of a stretch for my money, but whatever).

23. Replace dogs brought round to guard artist in foundation (10)

Answer: SUBSTRATUM (i.e. “foundation”). Solution is SUB (i.e. “replace”, short for substitute) followed by MUTTS (i.e. “dogs”) once reversed (indicated by “brought round”) and wrapped around or “guarding” RA (i.e. “artist”, specifically a Royal Academician), like so: SUB-(ST(RA)TUM).

27. Home Office head blocking one hundred and one commoners? (3,6)

Answer: HOI POLLOI (i.e. “commoners”). Solution is HO (I guess this is supposed to be a recognised abbreviation of the “Home Office” – trouble is none of my dictionaries seem to support it. Yellow card?) followed by POLL (i.e. “head”, both meaning to remove the top of something; the former of a tree) once placed in or “blocking” IOI (i.e. letters resembling “one hundred and one”), like so: HO-I(POLL)OI.

28. Where children are taught to get on? (8,6)

Answer: BOARDING SCHOOL (i.e. “where children are taught”). The remainder of the clue plays on how BOARDING can mean to “get on”. Another clue I liked.

31. Doing nothing in group when leader vanishes (8)

Answer: INACTION (i.e. “doing nothing”). Solution is IN followed by FACTION (i.e. “group”) once the first letter has been removed (indicated by “when leader vanishes”), like so: IN-ACTION.

33. Military supplier’s aromatic cooking drawing in young woman (12)

Answer: COMMISSARIAT (i.e. “military supplier”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “cooking”) of AROMATIC wrapped around or “drawing in” MISS (i.e. “young woman”), like so: COM(MISS)ARIAT.

34. Reasonable advantage retaining a religious work, not the first (9)

Answer: PLAUSIBLE (i.e. “reasonable”). Solution is PLUS (i.e. “advantage”) wrapped around or “retaining” A and followed by BIBLE (i.e. “religious work”) once its first letter has been removed (indicated by “not the first”), like so: PL(A)US-IBLE.

37. Not inclined to be fair (2,3,5)

Answer: ON THE LEVEL. Solution satisfies “not inclined” and “be fair”.

38. Upright character must stop malign duo, criminal element (10)

Answer: GADOLINIUM (i.e. chemical “element”, a rather toxic metal). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “criminal”) of MALIGN DUO once wrapped around or being “stopped” by I (i.e. “upright character”), like so: GADOL(I)NIUM. I liked the clue significantly more than the solution. It’s tempting to remember this one solely on the off-chance I’ll be asked by a Pointless researcher one day to name a chemical element. And on the off-chance that “chemical elements” gets chosen as a category by a contestant on Pointless. And on the off-chance that said contestant on Pointless smugly offers GADOLINIUM as a pointless answer, believing themselves quids-in. And on the off-chance I’ll happen across said episode of Pointless when it is broadcast to see the smile wiped from said contestant’s face as Richard Osman (if he still does Pointless) says one person actually did say GADOLINIUM. I would find that incredibly funny, perhaps even rolling on the floor cackling “That was me! That was me what did that! A-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaa!” It would be quite a long way to go for a joke, though, I admit, considering 1) only I would get it, and 2) I don’t even watch Pointless.

41. Immoral habit by newspaper keeping old phone messages (9)

Answer: VOICEMAIL (i.e. “phone messages”). Solution is VICE (i.e. “immoral habit”) and MAIL (i.e. “newspaper”) all wrapped around or “keeping” O (a recognised abbreviation of “old”), like so: V(O)ICE-MAIL.

43. Feeling of anger going round confused shy figure (8)

Answer: PHYSIQUE (i.e. “figure”). Solution is PIQUE (i.e. “feeling of anger”) wrapped “round” an anagram (indicated by “confused”) of SHY, like so: P(HYS)IQUE. Appeared in grid 1583 back in November, also on even intersecting letters, so…

45. Settle musical scores? (7)

Answer: ARRANGE. Clue plays on the solution satisfying “settle” and “musical scores” being arrangements. Something like that, anyway.

47. Ability explosive: is it drink-fuelled? (6)

Answer: TALENT (i.e. “ability”). Solution is TNT (i.e. “explosive”, short for trinitrotoluene) wrapped around or “fuelled” by ALE (i.e. “drink”), like so: T(ALE)NT. Appeared in grid 1610 back in April, but on that occasion on odd intersecting letters.

50. Repetitious complaint about old volunteers in four pairs? (5)

Answer: OCTAD (i.e. a set of eight, or “four pairs”). Solution is OCD (i.e. “repetitious complaint”, short for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) wrapped “about” TA (i.e. “old volunteers”, the Territory Army – it’s not often you find a setter acknowledge the TA doesn’t exist any more), like so: OC(TA)D.

51. Confederacy or those who opposed it? (5)

Answer: UNION (i.e. “confederacy”). The remainder of the clue plays on the American Civil War, fought between the Union (the North) and the Confederacy (the South) of the US.

52. Grunge band, unconvincing here, finally shows bite (4)

Answer: EDGE (i.e. “bite”). “Finally” indicates the solution is formed from the last letters of GRUNGE BAND UNCONVINCING HERE.