Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword 1649

A relatively straightforward Jumbo leading into Christmas, save for the odd bit of devious misdirection. One clue a little too devious.

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

Righto. Onto the next one in three, two, one…

LP

Across clues

1. Worms regularly found next to pillar inside no frills recycling facility (7,4)

Answer: COMPOST HEAP (i.e. “recycling facility” in your garden. Also a favourite place for cats to kip, if our old family cat was any judge). Solution is OM (i.e. “worms regularly”, i.e. every other letter of WORMS) and POST (i.e. “pillar”) both placed “inside” of CHEAP (i.e. “no frills”), like so: C(OM-POST)HEAP.

7. Strangely proper, sweet kids may exert such an influence (6,5)

Answer: PESTER POWER (i.e. “kids may exert such an influence”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “strangely”) of PROPER SWEET.

13. Chat show host maybe at breaks changing celebs (17)

Answer: CONVERSATIONALIST (i.e. “chat show host maybe”). Solution is AT placed in or “breaking” CONVERSION (i.e. “changing”) and A-LIST (i.e. “celebrities”), like so: CONVERS(AT)ION-A-LIST.

14. Extremely rare, specialist copy (5)

Answer: REPRO (i.e. “copy”, short for reproduction). Solution is RE (i.e. “extremely rare”, i.e. the first and last letters of “rare”) followed by PRO (i.e. “specialist”).

15. Bad plonk, free (6)

Answer: PUTRID (i.e. “bad”). Solution is PUT (i.e. “plonk” down) followed by RID (i.e. to “free” oneself of something).

16. Legally acquire scribes for an auditor (2,6)

Answer: BY RIGHTS (i.e. “legally”). Solution comprises homophones (indicated by “for an auditor”) of BUY (i.e. “acquire”) and WRITES (i.e. “scribes”).

17. Flash, loose foreign police officer (7)

Answer: MOUNTIE (i.e. “foreign police officer”). Solution is MO (i.e. “flash”, short for a moment) followed by UNTIE (i.e. “loose”).

19. Resolved to relive oil producer (5,4)

Answer: OLIVE TREE (i.e. “oil producer”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “resolved”) of TO RELIEVE.

21. Palace staff worry endlessly about protecting carriage (8)

Answer: SERVANTS (i.e. “palace staff”). Solution is STRESS (i.e. “worry”) with the last letter removed (indicated by “endlessly”) and the remainder reversed (indicated by “about”). This is then wrapped around or “protecting” VAN (i.e. “carriage”), like so: SER(VAN)TS.

23. Flower seen in odd places in The Fens (4)

Answer: TEES (i.e. “flower” or river, as in how a river flows). “Seen in odd places” indicates the solution is derived from every other letter of THE FENS.

25. Popular TV feature added to a magazine? (5)

Answer: INSET (i.e. “feature added to a magazine”). Solution is IN (i.e. “popular”) followed by SET (i.e. “TV”).

27. Dismal days breed animosity in the end (6)

Answer: DREARY (i.e. “dismal”). Solution is D (a recognised abbreviation of “days”) followed by REAR (i.e. “breed”) and Y (i.e. “animosity in the end”, i.e. the last letter of “animosity”).

28. Neglected person recalled in novel (10)

Answer: CINDERELLA (i.e. “neglected person”. Chambers goes one further, asserting “a despised and neglected person or thing”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “novel”) of RECALLED IN.

30. Water container covered in kind of green waste (8)

Answer: SEWERAGE (i.e. “waste”). Solution is EWER (i.e. “water container”) placed in or “covered in” SAGE (i.e. a plant or “kind of green”), like so: S(EWER)AGE.

31. In France, a proper source of drugs is not seized (14)

Answer: UNAPPROPRIATED (i.e. “not seized”). Solution is UN (i.e. “in France, a”, i.e. the French for “a”) followed by APPROPRIATE (i.e. “proper”) and D (i.e. “source of drugs”, i.e. the first letter of “drugs”).

34. Work produced by digital artist? (6,8)

Answer: FINGER PAINTING. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, taking “digital” to mean the digits of one’s hand. Simple, but nicely done.

35. Takes steps to include official introductions (8)

Answer: PREFACES (i.e. “introductions”). Solution is PACES (i.e. “takes steps”) wrapped around or “including” REF (i.e. “official”, short for referee), like so: P(REF)ACES.

38. An elite unit lacking one injured soldier (10)

Answer: LIEUTENANT (i.e. “soldier”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “injured”) of AN ELITE UNIT once one of the Is has been removed (indicated by “lacking [Roman numeral] one”).

40. Simple collection of data secures account (6)

Answer: FACILE (i.e. “simple”). Solution is FILE (i.e. “collection of data”) wrapped around or “securing” AC (a recognised abbreviation of “account”), like so: F(AC)ILE.

41. Wow some vacuous fools (5)

Answer: GEESE (i.e. “fools”). Solution is GEE (i.e. “wow”) followed by SE (i.e. “some vacuous”, i.e. the word “some” with all of its middle letters removed).

43. Unyielding, dismissing son’s argument (4)

Answer: TIFF (i.e. “argument”). Solution is STIFF (i.e. “unyielding”) with the S removed (indicated by “dismissing son” – S being a recognised abbreviation of “son”).

44. Article kept in school: it’s inside, alarmed (8)

Answer: AGITATED (i.e. “alarmed”). Solution is A (i.e. “article”, being a word like a, an or the) followed by GATED (i.e. kept in school” – Chambers offers this for a transitive verb form of GATE: “to punish (students or schoolchildren) by imposing a curfew or by confinement to school precincts”). This is all wrapped around or having “inside” of it, IT, like so: A-G(IT)ATED.

45. Marx perhaps had to leave when initially attacked with a weapon (9)

Answer: HARPOONED (i.e. “attacked with a weapon”). You’re on your own here, I’m afraid. The closest I can get assumes The Times has screwed up the clue (rare, but not unheard of). I’m guessing the solution is HARPO GONE (i.e. “Marx … had to leave”) with the G or “initial” letter of GONE removed. (Does “attacked” count as a removal indicator, though?) Quite where the D comes from is anyone’s guess. If someone comes along with the actual answer then I’ll update the post. I’m not wasting any more time on it.

[EDIT: Big thanks to DM in the comments for clearing this one up. I just couldn’t see this for the life of me. The solution is HARPO (i.e. “Mark perhaps”) followed by ONED, which is OWNED (i.e. “had”) with the W removed (indicated by “to leave when initially”, i.e. the first letter of “when”). Cheers, DM! – LP]

48. Kitty grabbing hold of one large recoiling furry mammal (7)

Answer: POLECAT (i.e. “furry mammal”). Solution is POT (i.e. purse or “kitty”) wrapped around or “grabbing hold of” ACE (i.e. “one” on playing cards) and L (a recognised abbreviation of “large”) once these have been reversed (indicated by “recoiling”), like so: PO(L-ECA)T.

49. Get support acquiring piano for musician (8)

Answer: BAGPIPER (i.e. “musician”). Solution is BAG (i.e. to “get”) followed by PIER (i.e. “support” of an arch or bridge) once wrapped around or “acquiring” P (a recognised abbreviation of “piano” in musical lingo), like so: BAG-PI(P)ER.

50. Live around a mile beyond the eastern edge of Liverpool, still (6)

Answer: BECALM (i.e. “still”). Solution is BE (i.e. “live”) followed by CA (i.e. “around”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of “circa”) and M (a recognised abbreviation of “mile”) once the latter has been placed after or “beyond” L (i.e. “eastern edge of Liverpool”, i.e. the last letter of “Liverpool”, this being an across clue), like so: BE-CA-(L)-M.

53. English police officers rejected sergeant’s last order (5)

Answer: EDICT (i.e. “order”). Solution is E (a recognised abbreviation of “English”) followed by CID (i.e. “police officers”, specifically the Criminal Investigation Department) once reversed (indicated by “rejected”), then T (i.e. “sergeant’s last [letter]”), like so: E-DIC-T.

54. A number of people? (17)

Answer: ANAESTHESIOLOGIST. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, taking “number” to be someone administering an anaesthetic, given how they numb. Good clue.

55. Get mad, then settle and come to an understanding (3,3,5)

Answer: SEE THE LIGHT (i.e. “come to an understanding”). Solution is SEETHE (i.e. “get mad”) followed by LIGHT (i.e. to land or “settle”).

56. Outwardly snarky new essay about revolutionary music producer (11)

Answer: SYNTHESISER (i.e. “music producer”). Solution is SY (i.e. “outwardly snarky”, i.e. the first and last letters of “snarky”) followed by N (a recognised abbreviation of “new”), then THESIS (i.e. “essay”) and RE (i.e. “about” or regarding – think email replies) once the latter has been reversed (indicated by “revolutionary”), like so: SY-N-THESIS-ER.

Down clues

1. Rackets created by accountant with company fraudsters (11)

Answer: CACOPHONIES (i.e. “rackets”). Solution is CA (i.e. “accountant”, specifically a Chartered Accountant) followed by CO (a recognised abbreviation of “company”) and PHONIES (i.e. “fraudsters”).

2. Artist requiring mostly brass and tin to start with (5)

Answer: Claude MONET (i.e. “artist”). Solution is MONEY (i.e. “brass”, slang thereof) with its last letter removed (indicated by “mostly”) and the remainder followed by T (i.e. “tin to start with”, i.e. the first letter of “tin”), like so: MONE-T.

3. Previous issue brought up I must introduce (3-4)

Answer: ONE-TIME (i.e. “previous”). Solution is EMIT (i.e. “issue”) reversed (indicated by “brought up” – this being a down clue). This is then placed after or “introduced” by ONE (i.e. “I”, taken as a Roman numeral).

4. Chore that’s beginning or ending on request (4)

Answer: TASK (i.e. “chore”). Solution is T (i.e. “that’s beginning or ending”, i.e. the first or last letter of “that”, take your pick) followed by ASK (i.e. “request”).

5. Basic telly never thrown out (5-5)

Answer: ENTRY-LEVEL (i.e. “basic”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “thrown out”) of TELLY NEVER.

6. Correspondence from someone who’s shy? (10,4)

Answer: PROMISSORY NOTE. Solution satisfies the clue as a whole, being essentially an IOU, and taking “shy” to mean being short of what’s demanded. Nicely done.

7. Thieves with craving for ultimately breaking into post offices (8)

Answer: POACHERS (i.e. “thieves”). Solution is ACHE (i.e. “craving”) and R (i.e. “for ultimately”, i.e. the last letter of “for”) all placed in or “breaking” POS (i.e. PO being short for “post office”, and made plural), like so: PO(ACHE-R)S.

8. Exclusive hotel’s abandoned southern Europeans (5)

Answer: SWISS (i.e. “Europeans”). Solution is SWISH (i.e. “exclusive”) with the H removed (indicated by “hotel’s abandoned” – “hotel” being H in the phonetic alphabet) and the remainder followed by S (a recognised abbreviation of “southern”), like so: SWIS-S.

9. Evaluated drug said to suppress the onsets of intense migraines (9)

Answer: ESTIMATED (i.e. “evaluated”). Solution is E (i.e. “drug”, short for ecstasy) and STATED (i.e. “said”) once wrapped around or “suppressing” I and M (i.e. “onsets of intense migraines”, i.e. the first letters of “intense” and “migraines”), like so: E-ST(I-M)ATED.

10. Each serving of coffee maybe reported to recover energy (4,2)

Answer: PERK UP (i.e. “recover energy”). Solution is PER (i.e. “each”) followed by a homophone (indicated by “reported”) of CUP (i.e. “serving of coffee maybe”), like so: PER-KUP.

11. With a time inside, escapee will then possibly make a fresh start (4,3,5,5)

Answer: WIPE THE SLATE CLEAN (i.e. “make a fresh start”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “possibly”) of ESCAPEE WILL THEN wrapped around or having “inside” of it A and T (a recognised abbreviation of “time”), like so: WIPETHESL(A-T)ECLEAN.

12. State that is American at heart? (5,6)

Answer: RHODE ISLAND (i.e. US “state”). Clue plays on how the state’s abbreviation, RI, can be found in the middle or “heart” of AMERICAN. Another nicely worked clue.

18. Recalled piece about old commercial deficit (5,3)

Answer: TRADE GAP (i.e. “commercial deficit”). Solution is PART (i.e. “piece”) wrapped “about” AGED (i.e. “old”) and the whole then reversed (indicated by “recalled”), like so: TRA(DEGA)P.

20. Classic Christmas movie crammed in fantastic ideas of winter (3,1,9,4)

Answer: IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (i.e. “classic Christmas movie”). Solution is FULL (i.e. “crammed”) placed “in” an anagram (indicated by “fantastic”) of IDEAS OF WINTER, like so: ITSAWONDER(FULL)IFE.

22. Area by train lines home to birds (6)

Answer: AVIARY (i.e. “home to birds”). Solution is A (a recognised abbreviation of “area”) followed by VIA (i.e. “by”) and RY (i.e. “train lines”, specifically a recognised abbreviation of a railway).

24. Bachelor drops ciggie: it’s mental exhaustion (5,3)

Answer: BRIAN FAG (i.e. “mental exhaustion”). Solution is B (a recognised abbreviation of “bachelor”) followed by RAIN (i.e. “drops”) and FAG (i.e. “ciggie”, both slang for a cigarette).

26. Floods ripped through rock formations (8)

Answer: TORRENTS (i.e. “floods”). Solution is RENT (i.e. “ripped”) placed in or “through” TORS (i.e. “rock formations” or hills), like so: TOR(RENT)S.

29. Bread products also found in nice shops we supply (4,10)

Answer: OPEN SANDWICHES (i.e. “bread products”). Solution is AND (i.e. “also”) placed “in” an anagram (indicated by “supply”, or being supple) of NICE SHOPS WE, like so: OPENS(AND)WICHES.

32. Flower garden to some extent messed up when pruned (8)

Answer: PARTERRE (i.e. “flower garden”). Solution is PART (i.e. “to some extent”) followed by ERRED (i.e. “messed up”) once its last letter has been removed (indicated by “when pruned”), like so: PART-ERRE. Chalk one to my Bradford’s. Trust me, I’m not a flowers guy.

33. Permit curbing pub singer? (6)

Answer: LINNET (i.e. “singer”, specifically a songbird). Solution is LET (i.e. “permit”) wrapped around or “curbing” INN (i.e. “pub”), like so: L(INN)ET. One nailed solely from the wordplay.

34. Thought advice restricts writers (4-3,4)

Answer: FELT-TIP PENS (i.e. “writers”). Solution is FELT (i.e. “thought”) followed by TIP (i.e. “advice”) and PENS (i.e. “restricts”).

36. Silly preset mode restricting key measuring device (11)

Answer: SPEEDOMETER (i.e. “measuring device”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “silly”) of PRESET MODE wrapped around or “restricting” E (i.e. musical “key”), like so: SPEEDOMET(E)R.

37. Where to find sailors working when lots of tourists are around (4,6)

Answer: HIGH SEASON (i.e. “when lots of tourists are around”). Solution is HIGH SEAS (i.e. “where to find sailors”) followed by ON (i.e. “working”).

39. Weird thing following everybody when it gets dark (9)

Answer: NIGHTFALL (i.e. “when it gets dark”). Solution is an anagram (indicated by “weird”) of THING followed by F (a recognised abbreviation of “following”) and ALL (i.e. “everybody”), like so: NIGHT-F-ALL.

42. Theatre packed up in crates, e.g. at storerooms (5,3)

Answer: STAGE SET. The solution satisfies the clue as a whole. “Packed … in” also indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, while “up” indicates the solution has been reversed – this being a down clue, like so: CRA(TES E.G. AT S)TOREROOMS.

46. Heavy, heavy blow above American boxing ring (7)

Answer: ONEROUS (i.e. “heavy”). Solution is ONER (i.e. “heavy blow”, one that’s thrown me before, so I remembered it this time around) and US (i.e. “American”) wrapped around or “boxing” O (i.e. “ring”), like so: ONER-(O)-US.

47. Stop for something to drink (6)

Answer: SCOTCH. Solution satisfies to “stop” and “something to drink”. Another simple but well-worked clue.

49. Report about heroin and another narcotic (5)

Answer: BHANG (i.e. “narcotic”). Solution is BANG (i.e. “report” or an explosive noise) wrapped “about” H (slang name for “heroin”), like so: B(H)ANG.

51. First sign of tooth decay? Not the first (5)

Answer: ARIES (i.e. “first sign” of the zodiac). Solution is CARIES (i.e. “tooth decay”) with the first letter removed (indicated by “not the first”).

52. Lucre stashed by desperados habitually (4)

Answer: DOSH (i.e. “lucre”). “Stashed by” indicates the solution has been hidden in the clue, like so: DESPERA(DOS H)ABITUALLY.